


Nightmares have bad habits

by magalud



Series: Nightmares [1]
Category: due South
Genre: Custody Battle, Drama, F/M, Family Issues, Heavy Angst, I Keep Adding Tags, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Legal Shenanigans, Lots of Sex, Medical Inaccuracies, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Multi, Pregnancy, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Sex, Sexy!Benny, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smitten!Benny, Threesome - F/M/M, Torture, Triggers, Violence, all Vecchios were drafted to help, bad treatment of Canadians, did I mention lots of sex?, protective!Ray, the flames go really high
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:21:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 60
Words: 189,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magalud/pseuds/magalud
Summary: A girl full of kindness and mysteries draws Benny and Ray to unimaginable adventures.
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Original Female Character, Benton Fraser/Original Female Character/Ray Vecchio
Series: Nightmares [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118105
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: These people belong to Alliance and those other guys, and I just play around with them. Linda is mine, Benny is not. Boy, how I wish it was the other way around...
> 
> Notes: This is a sort of healing series. Many unpleasant experiences to deal with, so it’s not for the faint of heart.  
> Thanks to my friends Jan and Cris, not only for sharing the belief as little Mulders, but also, among other reasons, for not running away from me when reading the first version ....
> 
> English is not my first language, please forgive me any mistakes.
> 
> I dedicate this the real girl who inspired me to create Linda. May she one day find her Dr. Lennyard and then move on until she finds her Benny.
> 
> This was written over 20 years ago, in a bad patch of my life, and some of it were in other archives. But now I believe it has found a nice home. Thanks, Benny and Ray, for a heck of a ride.

# A puzzle called Linda

## Chapter 1

The voice was soft and very gentle.

“Actually, they were five people, and I’m not sure I can recall each and every one of them, Mrs. Ritter. But they were very talkative, and they wanted to know all about the treatment. They can’t wait until she is sent to a private room. It may be sooner than the doctors think. I am sure you’ll miss her when she’s gone. You know, you’re surrounded by the best here in Intensive Care Unit. At your side, Mrs. Ritter, you got nothing but the best, I tell you.”

The noise of the door opening caught her attention and she stopped talking. Linda Lyme, officially called a nurse’s aid assistant, gently let go of the hand of the comatose patient she was talking to. “I have to go now, Mrs. Ritter. We’ll talk some more later, OK? Now you better get some rest.”

Chief Nurse Sorelli called out, “Linda?”

“Yes, Mrs. Sorelli?”

“Are you done here, dear? You’re needed at the Operating Room.”

Linda rapidly gathered her work tools. “I’ll be right there, Mrs. Sorelli.”

The chief nurse observed the young girl and said, in a soft voice. “You know I don’t mind that you talk to the patients, Linda, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your duties.”

“I know that, Ma’am. I’ll try to do better.”

The older nurse smiled. “You do a good job, Linda. Now finish here and go to the Operating Room as soon as you can.”

The girl applied herself to the mops, brooms and brushes and finished cleaning the ICU. When she was done, she put away carefully the used apron in the proper bin and took another one, sterilized and ready to use. She was always very careful about the cleanliness of her uniform and cleaning equipment. When she passed by the ICU’s waiting room, she noticed the man in the corner, right in the unit’s front door.

Not only was the man extremely attractive, but he also looked exhausted, empty blue eyes staring relentlessly at the ICU door. He had a face that Linda had learned to recognize: the face of someone quite concerned over the life of a dear one. What attracted the young girl’s attention were not as much as the man’s perfect classical features but the fact that she remembered seeing him in that same spot with the same clothes on her last shift, the night before.

Then she realized. _Oh, no._ She had been staring, and it was rude thing to do. Linda figured she needed to be at the OR right away.

Linda cleaned many of the operation rooms, then she also had a nice doctor’s room to clean and put away all the surgical instruments. When the other lady doctor was gone for the day, it was Linda’s turn to clean the equipment, then gather all dirty sheets and aprons to be taken to the laundry. When this was all done, she carefully took off her own apron and put it away. Then she put on a clean one, gathered all buckets, brooms and cleaning products in her cart and got out.

Linda’s next stop was the nurse’s station, in case they request her help, should they need it. It was a dreaded time of her shift. Fortunately, there were only two nurses there. “ _Less_ _people_ _to_ _make_ _fun_ _of_ me”, thought Linda.

Samantha, however, the nurse who was smiling at Linda when she stopped by the station, would never be so cruel as to laugh at Linda as the other nurses did. “Hi, Linda. Tough night?”

“Hello, Samantha. No, things are good so far. May I help you in any way?”

“No, thank you. I’m holding the fort while the others are taking a coffee break. Would you like some coffee, too?”

“Thank you. I don’t think we got good coffee here at the hospital, Samantha.”

The nurse leaned in and lowered her voice, as if telling a big secret, “Neither does the girls. But it’s time for Jared’s break. Understand what I mean?”

Linda cast her head down and blushed beet reed. “I think Jared is pretty.”

“Oh, so you noticed too, huh? You are funny, Linda. Strange, but funny.”

Linda changed the subject. “Can I ask you something? About that man. Who is he?”

The nurse craned her neck to see who Linda was talking about. “Oh, _him_. I know the case. His name is Benton Fraser. He’s been here since Friday waiting for that injured cop. He is a detective. Name’s Vecchio.”

“Vecchio.” Linda’s face illuminated. “I know this name. He’s in the ICU!”

“Yes, but it’s touch and go, and no one knows if he’s going to make it. His family has been here all the time, and my guess is that this Fraser guy is his partner or something like this. He hasn’t left that seat since he arrived. Too bad he’s not family, or he could be allowed in the ICU. He’s waiting until Vecchio gets better and is transferred to a room. He is quite a looker, isn’t he?”

Linda was amazed. “He’s been here since last night, then?”

“He’s been here for _three_ _days_ , Linda. Hasn’t moved an inch, hasn’t gone to the cafeteria, anything. Never seen anything like it.”

“I talked to Vecchio. He may get better. Maybe I should talk to his friend, too.”

“Linda, you’re the only person I know who wastes time talking to people who cannot answer.”

The girl blushed. “Well, Chief Nurse Sorelli says that sometimes the patients in ICU might even get better because someone’s talking to them. Besides, families generally get so shocked when their loved ones are sick that they can’t talk to them normally. I like talking to them, Sam. They are nice.”

“No need to get in a snit, Linda. I was… making a compliment.”

“Oh.” Linda didn’t know what to do for a few seconds. “Thank you. Well, I got to go now, Sam. See ya.”

The girl finished her round at the station, and the nurse went back to her work, shaking her head. Linda had become a sort of mascot to the ICU wing, because she was very nice and polite with everyone, from fellow workers and patients to the pompous doctors. Samantha didn’t know much about her, because the chief nurse didn’t allow anyone to snoop Linda’s private life. But she was kinda special, maybe she had some sort of dysfunction. There was a chance Linda had some neurological trauma or illness, because she had weekly sessions in the psych ward and had only recently received permission to live in her own place.

Sam knew Linda had other job besides the hospital, and that she had hopes of someday going into a nursing school, but she was generally quite introspective. Actually, Samantha was one of the few persons whom Linda spoke regularly. The poor girl was nothing more than a cleaning lady and a kind soul, but the other nurses seemed to have a special kind of joy to mock her and make fun at her expense. Samantha never let that happen in front of her, because she knew Linda was a gracious, attentive person who probably merely didn’t know how to defend herself from such meanness.

*** * ***

Linda approached the man in a very shy manner.

“Sir?”

No answer. The man was centered in his thoughts, obliviously looking at the ICU door, painfully staring at the sign that said “Authorized Personnel Only.” Linda had to clear her throat.

“Er… Sir?”

The man finally looked at her. Linda felt something melting inside her body, because the man was definitively beautiful. Perfect gray-blue eyes, a gorgeous nose, features carved by celestial beings. The jeans and flannels didn’t do him justice at all. Linda couldn’t look back at the inquiring eyes. 

“Yes?” The voice was also powerful.

“You’ve been here for so long. I was wondering if I could bring you something: water, coffee, a sandwich. I could get it for you.”

“No, thank you.” He looked at Linda’s nametag and forced himself to a tired smiled. “Thank you kindly, Linda.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep a while? I can wake you up if your friend gets better.”

“It’s very kind of you.”

Linda risked a brief look at him and saw that he smiled, grateful. The girl blushed, and almost panicked. “Well, I- I I have to go back to work, now. I can get back with coffee if you want.”

“No, but thank you kindly. I appreciate the offer.”

Not knowing what else to do, Linda nodded and clumsily pushed her cart with brooms and mops ahead. She went back to her duties worried about that man. She made herself a promise to tell Detective Vecchio that his friend had been there all the time, waiting until he got better.

*** * ***

It was very late at night and Fraser seemed to feel a couple of fingers gently touching his shoulders. It was such a gently touch that he wasn’t sure he had felt it at all. Looking around, he saw the young girl, Linda. Her green eyes were wide, and she whispered, “Do you want to see your friend?”

His blue eyes sparkled. “Can you do this?”

“You’ll have to come with me. Quiet, please.”

She took him by the hand and they walked quietly through the darkened halls of the hospital. “Won’t you get in trouble with this?”

Linda got a bit agitated. “Hurry, before someone sees us.”

She took him inside a closet where there were sterilized aprons and scrubs. “Here.” She handed him some scrubs, still whispering. “You have to put this over your clothes and wash your hands and face, OK? I can’t let you in the ICU otherwise. While you get dressed, I’ll buy us some time.”

She walked out of the closed and went to the nurses’ station. To her dismay, Samantha wasn’t there anymore. It was Crystal, one of the nurses that made her life most miserable. Anyway, Linda had a plan and Crystal seemed more interested in reading a girlie magazine.

“Miss Crystal, I’m going back in the ICU. The new patient made such a mess.”

“Well, then go already. Why are you announcing it?”

“I don’t know this patient. Is his name Vecchio? Is he Italian?”

A face of extreme annoyance and impatience came from over the magazine. “If I tell you what I know, will you let me be?”

“Yes, Miss Crystal.”

“His family is Italian, they all are troublemakers and loud people. He’s friends with that statue that’s parked at the end of the hall. That’s all I know, weirdo, so beat it.”

Linda flinched at the verbal abuse, which always hurt her a lot. Nurse Crystal knew exactly how to make her hurt. “Ok, Miss Crystal. I’ll be going now.”

“As if I care, nutjob. Scram!”

Opening up the closet room, Linda put on a new apron. She saw Mr. Fraser ready, so she nodded and whispered. “Ok, Mr. Fraser, now you come with me, but please be quiet.”

“How do you~”

“Quiet, please.”

Linda took him to the backdoor of the ICU and she remembered something Chief Nurse Sorelli always told families of ICU patients. “So, Mr. Fraser, before we get in, let me explain something to you: your friend is here because he very sick, OK? So you must remember his is a grave condition and we’re doing everything to make him better. Some people come to see ICU patients and get quite shocked at the equipment. If you get shocked, if you faint, or something like that, I won’t be able to help you, because I’m not strong enough to lift you. I’ll have to call a doctor, and then we’ll be in deep trouble, both of us. Do you understand, Mr. Fraser?”

Patiently, he said, “I have been to an ICU before. I know what to expect.”

“Oh, good.” Linda then pointed to a bed at the right corner. “There is your friend. You can go to him now, but you’ll have to come with me when I call you, OK?”

“Thank you very kindly.”

She observed the tall man moving towards the bed at the right corner of the room. He picked up his friend’s hand (just as she would have done) and whispered some words. Linda found that sweet, then realised that she was staring, and that was not nice. So, she went to see Mrs. Ritter.

She just said hi to the lady in coma, took her hand and caressed the face trying to avoid all tubes and equipment. All monitors and beepers were making the same noises, so Linda knew that Mrs. Ritter’s condition didn’t change.

Right after that, she went to Vecchio’s bed. Fraser was there, talking gently to his friend, telling him to get better soon. Linda looked at the monitors and all machinery surrounding the detective. At least one of them was different. It might mean he was better. Sure, only a doctor could know, and not even a nurse could say for sure. Fraser’s presence seemed to have improved the patient’s condition. “ _They_ _really_ _must_ _be_ _very_ _good_ friends”, thought Linda.

Linda wanted to give Mr. Fraser more time with his friend, but she was starting to think they were pushing their luck as it was and that if Miss Crystal found that out, Linda wouldn’t hear the end of it. So she touched (gently, as she had been told) Mr. Fraser’s arm. “Mr. Fraser?”

He nodded, and Linda could see that he was fighting tears, as he gently laid his friend’s elegant hand on the bed. Her impulse was to hug that man that suffered so much, but she had been strictly warned more than once to never, ever do that again. Mr. Fraser obediently followed Linda outward the ICU. She took him back to the closet and instructed, “Now you take those scrubs and throw them in that bin over there. And don’t get out until I say so, OK?”

Before he could answer, she went back to the ICU and put a dirty sheet in a bucket to have an excuse in case someone saw her getting out of there. But everything seemed fine. Then she had another idea.

When she knocked on the closet’s door, Fraser got out. She took him by the hand again. “Come with me. We’re going to the next wing, because it’s empty now.” They crossed a few corridors, then Linda took him to a huge hall and instructed, “See that room? You go in there, and pass a second room. In the third room, there’s a sign “Staff”. There is a bed in there, and no one will be using it until at least five o’clock. You can sleep there until this time, and then I will come to wake you up, OK?”

“But I –“

She hurried him, looking at all sides as if someone was about to catch them red-handed. “Please, Mr. Fraser, if you don’t go now, I can get in a lot of trouble.”

He smiled, and there were dimples at the top of his lips. “It is most kind of you. Thank you.”

Fraser did as he was instructed, and before dawn, when another shift would start, Linda went there to wake him up. When she got inside, she couldn’t help to stare. If awake, he was beautiful, asleep he was a vision from heaven.

_He_ _looks_ _like_ _an_ _angel_ , she thought.

She tried not to shake or cry as she stared at the beautiful features, at the way his body was built. She couldn’t have this kind of thought.

“Mr. Fraser?”

He woke up and sat up in a flash. Linda jumped back.

“Sorry”, he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s not your fault.” Her voice was shaky, and she was all flushed. “I should have knocked. Look, I brought you coffee.”

Fraser noticed her hand was trembling as she held up the Styrofoam. He got up and took the cup as she insisted, always looking at the floor. “You need to rest, Mr. Fraser. Why don’t you go home for a while, maybe eat something? You can’t go on without eating.”

“I’m fine, Linda, thank you. You’ve done much more than enough. I appreciate it immensely.”

She didn’t know what else to say or to do. So she blushed once more and said. “Well, my shift is ending, and I have to go now. If you want anything else, just call me.”

Linda left before she could be even more embarrassed than she already was. She was flushed, her face as red as a beet, and she couldn’t believe the things she had done. She had risked her job and had gone against everything everybody had ever told her just to help that man.

But she couldn’t think about that at that particular moment. She had to be in Mrs. Robinson’s house in less than an hour! Trying her best not to think of the things that had happened, she prepared herself to finish the shift and get on with the other part of her life.

Mrs. Robinson noticed something wrong with Linda that morning. The old lady trusted blindly in that girl that came to her door almost six months before, answering to an ad in which she asked for someone who could read for her. Actually, the job was more like a maid or a cleaning lady for the lonely old woman. To accept Linda as her employee, Mrs. Robinson had a visit from Dr. Lennyard, the doctor who treated Linda. So the old lady knew that she wasn’t merely a shy, clumsy girl. The old lady had accepted Linda’s services.

In time, Linda had willingly helped Mrs. Robinson with other things in her house. Everyday, Linda spent the whole night working in the hospital, and then at the crack of dawn, except when she had therapy, she’d get out and go to Mrs. Robinson’s. There she spent most of the days, not only reading for the old lady, but also preparing a meal for them and giving her meds. Linda gave Mrs. Robinson some care that the family apparently wasn’t able to give.

Since her daughter had gone away and disappeared, more than six months ago, Mrs. Robinson had fallen into a serious depression and had only Linda to trust. But she had always felt responsible for Linda because she knew about the girl’s health problems and also because she was very naïve to the things that happened in big cities such as Chicago. Mrs. Robinson also knew that Linda had no one to take care of her. It was a very tight relationship. That’s why the old lady felt free enough to comment, “Linda, you look different today. Is everything all right?”

The girl looked at her feet and felt her cheeks burning., She didn’t want to tell Mrs. Robinson what happened, because she was ashamed of it, but she also didn’t want to lie to her. But since she was asking so directly, it would be impolite not to answer.

“I have done something terribly wrong today, Mrs. Robinson.”

“Really? Did you or anyone get hurt, honey?”

“No!” Linda looked horrified. “I could never hurt anyone, Mrs. Robinson. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do, but you sound so serious. You want to tell me what happened?”

“I may lose my job.”

“Was it an accident?”

Linda shook her head, twisting her arms and hands. Mrs. Robinson knew that those were sure sings that Linda was very, very frightened.

“Look, Linda. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want. I just thought that you might feel better talking to someone about it.”

Hesitantly, threatening to burst into tears, Linda told her employer what had happened. The old lady smiled in a sweet manner. “But I don’t see anything wrong with this at all, Linda. The man wanted to see his friend, and they must be good friends. You did what you thought was right. If you feel bad about it, you can tell your boss tomorrow. Tell her everything, tell her why you did it, and tell her it won’t happen again. I am sure she will understand.”

Linda looked at her, green eyes sparkling, “Do you think so, Mrs. Robinson?”

“I am sure.” The old lady smiled at the girl, touched by her deep concern. “Now try to calm down, dear Linda. How about some tea, to make you calm down a bit?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Robinson., Let me make you some, then.”

As usual, Linda took care of the tea. She also took care of Mrs. Robinson’s meds, the cleaning, the laundry and even took care of Claire and Cleo, the two goldfishes that fascinated her no end. At noon, the girl had finally gone home, to rest. It was her “night time” – from noon till dusk.

At night, at the beginning of her shift, Linda was back at the hospital, as usual. She had decided to take Mrs. Robinson’s advice and confess her sin to Chief Nurse Sorelli. Then she’d take whichever punishment her boss thought it was most adequate. However, the minute she set foot on her floor she was in for a surprise.

“Linda?” It was Miss Crystal, and Linda flinched, already waiting for an insult to come. “Don’t even bother with the ICU today, freak. You’re needed at the ER all night long. There’s been a huge accident at the Dan Ryan Expressway, Mrs. Sorelli has called in sick and we’re severely understaffed. On the top of it, I’m in charge of all this mess. So, make yourself useful to the living for a change, nutjob, and get to work now.”

Linda winced, but never failed to answer in a polite way. “Yes, Miss Crystal. I’m going to the Emergency Room right away.”

On her way, Linda took the materials she would need and sighed. It was a scenario she never liked at all. Even thought she didn’t work that long in hospitals, she had seen many accidents, and she knew what to wait. The Emergency Room would be bursting with people, confused people. She’d have a lot of work to do, including dealing with corpses.

The things that bothered Linda had nothing to do with the triple workload or the corpses. In fact, she even thought that after a busy night like that, she always had much more to talk to Mrs. Robinson. But in nights like these, she’d have to concentrate a lot, because the presence of so many people distressed her a lot. Those people were worried and nervous, and they shouted a lot, and she’d always assume they were shouting at her. So she’d need all her control not to cry. Linda knew now that the people were worried and nervous about the sick people, and they didn’t really mean to hurt her. Many of the wounded wouldn’t make it. Linda knew that. And the people would get more and more nervous.

Linda’s predictions came true. Night shifts were just like that: either they were busy as hell or dead as a graveyard. Linda had grown used to those extreme variations. She figured Dr. Lennyard would be proud of how she handled everything.


	2. Chapter 2

## Chapter 2

It was almost time for her shift to end and it usually took her a lot of time to sterilise herself before leaving the hospital. That day, however, she stayed even more time than the usual to go to the ICU. She had heard when Crystal told her not to go there, but she had to at least say hi to Mrs. Ritter. Maybe the other patients, new ones from the huge road accident, would like a friendly word of welcome.

Linda went her way around and went inside the backdoor of the ICU, taking care not to be seen in the nurses’ station. She talked quickly to Mrs. Ritter, telling all the news of the day. She noticed two new patients from the accident, and she was relieved that they were only two – she would have thought there would be more.

Then Linda stopped at Mr. Vecchio’s bed. She remembered what she had done, how she had brought Mr. Fraser and she blushed. The monitor in one of the respiratory machines indicated a slight change and he could really be getting better. Linda was happy. She took his hand with great care and used a gentle voice.

“Hello, Mr. Vecchio. You don’t know me, but I’ve talked to you before. I see you’re breathing a little better today, and it’s a very good sign, did you know? I want you to know that here at the hospital we are doing all we can so you can get better as quickly as possible. You are so lucky, Mr. Vecchio. I know you’re a police officer and that you were shot in the line of duty. You must be a very brave man, and a good cop. I am happy to help taking care of someone who keeps our streets safe. And your partner, Mr. Fraser, has already been here talking to you. I didn’t see him today because I was assigned to another place, but he is probably still in the hospital, waiting for you to get better. Anyway, I think you’ll like to know that Mr. Fraser never left the hospital, all this time you are here. I even suggested him to rest for a while, but he said he’d be fine. He is a very good friend. So I brought him in here, and he talked to you last night. I hope you don’t mind that I made this decision. I was only trying to help, Mr. Vecchio. I took good care of your friend for you. I brought him coffee and let him sleep in the staff’s room. Oh, your family has also been here. I wasn’t here at that time, so I guess they came by daytime. But from what I heard the nurses say, they love you very much, because they were very concerned about you and they wanted to know everything about your condition. That’s why I want you to know, Mr. Vecchio, that we are all doing what we can for your speedy recovery. There’s a lot of people that love you, Mr. Vechio. We know you won’t let us down. Wow, I’m sorry I talked that long. You need to rest, and I’m not letting you get any. Now if you plea-“

Linda didn’t finish the sentence when she heard a muffled sob behind her. When she turned around, she lost all blood from her face. There was a middle-aged woman, crying softly. She was short, a bit chubby, with grey hair and sensible shoes, wiping her tears with a hankie. Linda panicked. She knew she shouldn’t be there, yet she had been caught!

Without knowing what else to so, she ran out of the ICU.

“No, wait!” The sobbing woman cried out. “Please, wait.”

Linda couldn’t obey. She was too scared, so she rushed as fast as she could and ran out of the hospital. It wasn’t until she got to Mrs. Robinson’s that her cheeks had returned to their normal colour. Or close enough.

She told Mrs. Robinson everything. She was absolutely sure he had lost her job this time, and she became desperate, because probably she’d be sent back to the institution she’d come from. Linda was very, very distraught. Only Mrs. Robinson relentless patience with her was able to convince her to go back to the hospital the next day.

And so she did. Not because of what Mrs. Robinson had said, but also because she didn’t know what else to do. She went to the staff’s room and she was changing to her work clothes when Mrs. Sorelli walked in. Linda became agitated.

“Mrs. Sorelli, are you all right?”

“Yes, Linda, why do you ask?”

“You didn’t come to work yesterday, and I was worried.”

“You’re very kind, but I’m all right now. Speaking about being all right, if you are free now, I need you to come with me.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Linda followed her, still trying to build up the courage to confess what she had done. “But er, Mrs. Sorelli...”

The chief nurse didn’t stop walking to ask, as they crossed different hallways and wings of the hospital, “Linda, do you remember what I told you about talking to patients in the Intensive Care Unit?”

Linda’s heart almost stopped. She didn’t know exactly how to respond to that, because she didn’t know why she was being reprimanded. “You told me I could do that since it never interfered with my job. Mrs Sorelli, I swear I - ”

She never got finished, but the chief nurse smiled. “Well, it seems that a patient has come out of a coma and was transferred to a room.” Nurse Sorelli stopped walking and looked at Linda. “His life is no longer in danger. And you might have actually helped. Linda.” The girl’s eyes went wide, but she didn’t raise them. “The patient’s mother saw you talking to him last night at the ICU. She asked me to find you and take you to her.”

There was no way Linda could get even more scared. She didn’t even understand that scolding very well.

Mrs. Sorelli had taken her to the private wing, one to which Linda was forbidden to go. She was taken inside a patient’s room and Mrs. Sorelli announced, “There she is, Mrs. Vecchio. Our Linda Lyme.”

Eyes cast down, Linda barely had time to see where she was when she was hugged by a very effusive short, middle-aged woman:

“* _Carissima_ *! How nice to finally meet you!”

Linda was horrified when she left the woman’s embrace and she desperately looked at Mrs. Sorelli, who tried to explain, “I’m afraid Linda isn’t used to such displays of affection, Mrs. Vecchio. As an Italian myself, I understand, but Linda…”

The older woman kept smiling and took Linda gently by the hand. “No, she cannot be so shy. She saved my Raymondo!”

Linda then recognised the older woman with grey hair. She was at the ICU last night and had caught her talking to Mr. Vecchio. She was obviously his mother. She tried to apologise for her behaviour.

“I am sorry. I just wanted… I meant…”

Mrs. Vecchio touched the palm of her hand in Linda’s cheek and smiled gently. “I understand. I heard what you told my Raymondo. I was so touched I cried. Then you ran, before I could thank you. Today I heard you had also done a very nice thing for Benton, and he is like a son to me. You are a very nice young lady, with a beautiful name.”

For everything she held dear, Linda didn’t know why that woman thanked her so much, and it scared her a lot. But she didn’t want to sound ungrateful and she stammered, as she blushed in a furious shade of pink, “I-I was j-just doing my j-job, Ma’am. I’m glad I could help.”

“Now my Raymondo is asleep. But you must see him, when he wakes up.”

“I – I” Linda didn’t know that to say, her eyes falling in all places at all time, her posture denouncing extreme fear. “I-I have to get back to work…”

Mrs. Sorelli got in, “There’s no problem, Linda. You can see Mr. Vecchio when he wakes up.”

“OK,” nodded Linda, wanting very much to leave as soon as she could, “Thank you, Mrs. Vecchio.”

“And you have to see Benton, too. He’s looking for you everywhere.”

Linda let slip an unchecked gasp, trying her best not to show that nice lady how much all that made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, Mrs. Sorelli notice her discomfort and suggested, “Maybe Linda can come back at the end of her shift, when Mr. Vecchio probably will be awake and maybe Mr. Fraser will be back. How does that sound, Mrs. Vecchio?”

“Perfect.”

“And you, Linda?”

“OK, Mrs. Sorelli.” The girl’s voice was filled with gratitude for her superior.

“So, * _carissima_ *, you better go back to your job, and I’ll be waiting for you.”

After being once more effusively hugged, Linda apologized and happily came back to her routine. She noticed that Crystal tried endlessly to mock her because of the interest shown by Mr. Fraser in thanking her, but the girl, for once, let those hurting words affect her less this time.

At the end of her shift she went to Mrs. Sorelli to take her punishment. She had made Mrs. Robinson a promise and she always kept her promises. However, she was surprised when Mrs. Sorelli didn’t even let her finish her first sentence.

“Linda, Linda.” The chief nurse touched the girl’s shoulder and smiled, which only contributed to make Linda even more surprised. “I know what you did and I’m happy you stepped up to talk about it. But it’s all right.”

Linda tried to plead, “But I don’t -”

“Yes, you disobeyed an order, and that’s wrong. You know that only family members are allowed in the ICU. But you showed compassion when you let Mr. Fraser see Mr. Vecchio. That’s very sweet and humane, Linda. Also, you always behaved in a very respectful and gentle manner. Mrs. Vecchio loved you, and she’s anxious to see you again. Even though you disobeyed an order, and that was wrong, I can’t punish you, because your actions only did good to people.”

The assistant nurse’s aid, always looking at her feet, kept her silence for a few seconds. Then she asked, “Then I’m not fired?”

“No, of course not.” The older nurse smiled. “Now would be a good time to see Mrs. Vecchio. What do you say?”

“Yes. Mrs. Sorelli. Thank you, Mrs. Sorelli.”

Carefully, Linda went to the private wing of the hospital still unable to believe that she had gotten rid of the punishment that easy. But she always did what she’d been told, so she went to Mr. Vecchio’s room, knocking politely and waiting for admission before going inside the room.

“* _Bambina_ *!” That was the greeting she received, followed by one of the hugs that frightened her to no end. “How nice you could make it! My Raymondo is awake. Do you remember Benito, eh?”

Linda blushed until she was pink, and nodded to the man, now shaved, cleaned and wearing jeans and a nice blue shirt.

“Hello, Mr. Fraser.”

“Hello, Linda.” He smiled, and it was a beautiful thing to see, but Linda kept her head down. “I didn’t have a chance to thank you for what you’ve done for my friend Ray.”

“It was no problem, Mr. Fraser. I’m happy Mr. Vecchio is recovering so fast.”

Mrs., Vecchio guided her gently. “Come, * _cara_ *. Come see him.”

Always with her eyes cast down, she was taken to the bed where the patient looked at her. He still looked weak. But he was no doubt much better than on ICU: his cheeks had a bit more colour, and his lovely green eyes looked at her with a strong life force. The pronounced nose denounced a great personality, as well as the large front that came before a well-shaped head with a receding hairline. Vecchio tried to smile.

“Hi… Heard a lot about you.”

* _Be_ _polite_ , _Linda_.*

“Hello, Mr. Vecchio. You look much better.”

He completed, “Thanks to you, from what I heard.”

Again, the young lady blushed, very embarrassed, “I didn’t do anything, Mr. Vecchio. I’m no doctor.”

“Thanks, Linda. For everything.”

Rapidly, she said, “You’re very welcome, Mr. Vecchio. Everybody is so nice. Now I must let you rest. Thanks to everyone.”

Linda escaped the room as quickly as she could, because she felt really uncomfortable with all those gentle words they told her. Nobody said gentle words to her, and she didn’t know how to react.

Besides, Linda didn’t see reason for such a fuss. Talking to patients at the ICU was something she always did. Probably, those people were way too nervous with Mr. Vecchio’s health to realise what they were doing. As a nice young lady, Linda wouldn’t be the one to tell those nice people they had exaggerated on their compliments.

And apparently, they weren’t through. At the hallway, she heard someone call out her name.

“Linda!”

She turned around in time to see Mr. Fraser running to catch up with her and smiling at her. “Hi, I was wondering if you wanted a cup of coffee or something.”

She cast her head down. “I have a another job, so –“

She was gently interrupted, “Please let me buy you coffee or tea. I insist.”

* _Be_ _polite_ , _Linda_.*

Even hesitating and scared, she remembered she could not be impolite with the young man. And getting one day late to Mrs. Robinsons’s would be acceptable. So, she nodded, “All right.”

In front of two steaming cups filled with tea, Fraser realised the sun was coming up. “I realize Mrs. Vecchio can be quite… expansive. But she is a good woman.”

“Yes. Of course.” Linda didn’t look at him. “She loves her son very much. We can tell.”

“Yes, she loves him, that’s why she’s really grateful for what you did to Ray.”

“Ray is your partner’s name?”

“Yes. Well, actually, we’re not real partners. Ray is a police officer and I’m a deputy liaison officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Linda wanted to be sure she knew what he was talking about. “Are you Canadian?”

“Yes. I came to Chicago in the trail of my father’s killers and for reasons I better not disclose at this moment, I stayed as liaison officer at the Canadian Consulate. And you, Linda, do you have a family?”

She lowered her head even more, a pang in her chest, and shook her head. She didn’t understand why Mr. Fraser was talking to her that way. He had already said thank you, what else did he want?

“You seem to have a lot of friends in the hospital,” He went on. “Chief Nurse Sorelli, maybe other nurses…”

Head down, she said, “Maybe, sometimes…”

“I don’t have a lot of friends myself. I don’t have a family either. Maybe one exception is my wolf.”

That prompted Linda’s head up for a few seconds in which she let her surprise be seen, before repeating, “Your… * _wolf?*”_

“His name is Diefenbaker. I couldn’t bring him to the hospital.”

“It’s not allowed. Is he from Canada, too?”

“Yes, we came together. Would you like to meet him?”

“I love animals. Does he bite?”

“No, he is quite friendly. Maybe I can bring Diefenbaker tomorrow at the end of your shift. Would you like that?”

“Yes.” She seemed a bit happier, as far as he could tell. But then Linda got up from her chair and said, trying not to sound indelicate. “I am sorry, but I need to go now. My second job.”

“I am the one to apologise. I detained you for such a long time.”

“I enjoyed it.” Linda was twisting her arm, embarrassed. “Thank you for the tea.”

“It was my pleasure, Linda. Have a nice day.”

“Same to you, Mr. Fraser.”

Linda noticed that she was even redder when she left the hospital and recalled what had happened. Later, Mrs. Robinson said she should be proud to be receiving attentions from such an attractive man. Linda didn’t dare to believe what Mrs. Robinson was implying. She knew Mr. Fraser was being kind and that was all. Nothing else. Of course he was kinder than any men she had ever known and that had probably due to the fact that he was Canadian.

The scene in the bar danced all day long in Linda’s head, despite the fact that she tried not to make a big deal out of it. However, the thoughts kept coming to her head.

Naturally, the consequences would come.


	3. Chapter 3

## Chapter 3

Linda tried to keep her head down, so no one would notice the wound. Once Chief Nurse Sorelli was too busy and she was practically the only one who could mind, the tactics almost worked. But then, at the end of the shift, Linda was stopped outside the hospital. It was Fraser. And he looked different.

Linda looked at him: hat, baggy black pants with yellow stripes on the sides and a flashy red tunic with golden buttons and assorted insignias. The entire ensemble made him even more attractive than he already was, if that was possible. He smiled at her.

“Hi, Linda. I wanted to keep my promise.” He stepped aside. “This is Diefenbaker.”

She completely forgot her wound when a big and white animal decidedly lupine appeared at Fraser’s side. Timidly, she stretched her hand to pet him. Fraser gave her the go ahead, “You can touch him. He won’t attack you.”

Few times Linda felt so happy when she shyly caressed the wolf’s ears, then she used both hands to rake her fingers in his fur before kneeling on the ground and hugging him. The animal seemed to love it. He was so soft and beautiful.

Fraser observed her attentively, his feelings spiralling. Linda’s smile fell when he asked, “What happened to your face?”

She immediately forgot Dief and stood up, putting her head down. “I fell. It was yesterday.”

Fraser waited a few seconds before asking, “I see. From the stairs?”

“Yes.” She nodded rapidly, hoping he’d give up the subject. “Yes, that’s what happened. But it’s all right now.”

“That’s good.” Fraser used his thumb to scratch his eyebrow. “Well, I have to go to work now, too, and today Dief is going with me, so I thought you’d like some company. Would you mind if we escort you to your job?”

She blushed, “No, if you really want to…”

They started to walk in silence. Dief walked without a leash, patrolling the streets. After a pause, Linda asked, “Have you seen your friend?”

“Yes, Ray is getting better. He’s to be released next week, they say.”

“That’s very good, Mr. Fraser.”

“You can call me Benton. Some people call me Ben.”

She lowered her eyes, “I must show people respect, that’s why I can’t treat them by first name. It’s a rule.”

“Ah. It’s a good rule. You follow the rules, don’t you, Linda?”

“Yes, I do, Mr. Fraser.”

He nodded. “So you know that lying is a bad thing, don’t you?”

That question she had to answer, but showing respect. “But I never lied about the rule I disrespected. I myself told Mrs. Sorelli that I had let you inside the ICU to see your friend, and she said it had been good, because I had shown compassion. I didn’t lie. This is one of the rules I have to follow. I must never lie. _Never_ lie.

“If so, why did you tell me you fell off the stairs?”

Linda felt the blood coming to her face, turning it almost purple. She had never seen that one coming and she didn’t know what to say. Fraser insisted, “Someone did this to you, wasn’t it?”

She began to wince in panic. “No, Mr. Fraser, please…”

“Who did this to you, Linda?” He insisted, in a soft voice. “I want to help you.”

“No! No one can help me!” Fraser could see that she was on the verge of tears, her whole body shaking. “Mr. Fraser, please forget it! Don’t insist on it, please!”

Before Fraser could prevent it, she ran off throughout the street, running away so she couldn’t hear him, one street after another, trying to get away from that man. She ran with her tears streaming down her cheeks, her breathing in great gulps. She cried so much that less than four blocks ahead she had to stop, breathless, and looked back to see if she was being followed. Fraser wasn’t behind her. It still took her a few moments before she could pull herself together and think straight. She checked her watch. * _Oh, no. Late again_.*

Linda tried to forget all this and went straight to Mrs. Robinson’s. This time, however, instead of telling everything that happened, Linda couldn’t touch the subject. She couldn’t also answer any of the questions Mrs. Robinson made her. The old lady tried to make the young woman feel better, even change the subject, trying to make Linda forget such a delicate matter, whichever was it. But despite all efforts and good intentions, everything proved useless. That day, Linda waited impatiently for the hours to pass so that she could go home and stay alone, maybe sleep a while and forget the whole world for a few hours.

That, however, would be denied to her. When she left Mrs. Robinson’s house, relieved for finally be away from one source of pressure, she spotted, waiting on the corner, a red tunic waiting for her. Before Linda could flee again, Fraser went to her, saying, “I’m sorry, Linda, but I couldn’t forget it.”

“But you must forget it,” she cried. “You’ll only make thinks worse!”

“Whoever he is, we can catch him. We’ll bring him to justice.”

“No, you can’t! You can’t catch a ghost.”

Linda wanted to run, but this time Fraser stepped in her way and grabbed both her wrists. She struggled uselessly for a few seconds before surrendering to emotional release. He could feel Fraser’s strong arms wrapping her petite body and she knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t fight against it, and it felt so good, even though it was wrong. It lasted just a few seconds.

Linda pushed Fraser away, trying to control her tears, sobbing loud and trying to contain her anger. “I’m haunted, OK? I know people call me crazy and they use a lot of words to say the same thing, and as if that wasn’t enough, a ghost beats me if people are nice to me!! I can’t be treated nicely!”

She tried to run again and Fraser held her for the second time. “No Linda, that’s not true. Who told you that?”

“That’s the way things are!” She was fighting him. “Please, let me go!”

“Please Linda, let me prove you wrong.” Linda hesitated, still flinching at his touch, but he didn’t let go of her. His voice was much smoother now. “Do you trust me?”

She hesitated and stammered, “I – I- I “

“Linda, please. Let me prove you wrong.”

“I… I… I’m scared.”

“I’ll be with you.”

“No!” Her eyes went wide. “You will get hurt, too!”

Fraser smiled. “I’m bigger than you. And I got Diefenbaker to help.”

Linda noticed he had stopped holding her, but she had also stopped trying to run. Her head was down, her eyes moving nervously to all sides, trying to find a way out using logic. She was getting out of excuses to change his mind. So she used her last one. “I can’t have you in my apartment. My landlady is very strict about it.”

“I can stay in the hallway. If nothing happens, I won’t even have to go inside. Linda, you have to try. What have you got to lose if I’m wrong?”

Linda thought and she couldn’t find an answer, so she let him take her home. First, she insisted on taking him to the landlady’s apartment and introducing him as his friend. Of course, the red uniform helped to satisfy the lady, who made a lot of _innuendo_ and remarks. Even Fraser got a bit flushed. Finally, it was settled that the landlady would be inside the apartment, as well as Fraser. Linda slept on the afternoon anyway, so it would not conflict anyone’s schedule.

After so much emotional stress, Linda was exhausted. Despite the presence of strangers in her home, she fell asleep only minutes after going to bed. And so it began.

The landlady was the first to give the alarm. Fraser invaded the bedroom as soon as the soft noises began. It was just on time.

Dressed in her pj’s, Linda was using her broom to break the glasses of the window near the fire exit. In her sleep. There was glass all over the place and Linda went into convulsions. Fraser got her out of the dangerous place and applied first aid. It calmed Linda down, and she fell into a restful sleep. She was in shock.

Fraser left instructions with the landlady, who was quite scared. The Canadian calmed her down and regretted he couldn’t stay and take care of Linda as he wanted to. It was nice that he had been to the hospital earlier and gathered information on her that now had proven quite useful.

The sun was setting in Chicago when he called Dr. Lennyard to warn him he was coming. If there was anyone capable of answering his question, it was the psychiatrist who treated her for the last five years.

When Linda woke up and found out her landlady sweeping pieces of glass near the window, she knew something was wrong. The woman told her everything was fine now, except that the window had been broken and that his friend, Constable Fraser, had to leave. Shrugging, Linda thought everything was all right and went to work as usual in the night.

When Linda arrived at the hospital, she got a message that Dr. Lennyard was calling her. Linda thought it was strange, especially because their weekly appointment would be next morning, the only day she wouldn’t be at Mrs. Robinson’s. But when she got to his office, she saw that the psychiatrist wasn’t alone.

Dr. Lennyard smiled. “Hi, Linda. I hope you didn’t mind my calling.”

Linda didn’t answer. Instead, she looked rapidly at Fraser, who was standing near an armchair, hat in hand. He looked very uncomfortable.

She sat on another armchair and started to twist her hands. She didn’t dare look at either man.

“Mr. Fraser was worried about you, Linda, so he came to see me.”

She lowered her head and fought the tears. She felt betrayed. Mr. Fraser lied to her. She thought she could trust him, but he had lied to her. He had come to talk to Dr. Lennyard without telling her.

“You have a bad bruise on your face.” She blushed immediately. “Mr. Fraser told me you believe there is a ghost haunting you. Is that true?” Linda nodded, and it was her first reaction. “Linda, there’s nothing here to hurt you and we’re all your friends. Why don’t you tell me about this ghost?”

She winced, “They come in my sleep.”

“And why do they come, Linda?”

“They want to hurt me.”

“Why would they want to do that?”

“I cannot be treated nicely.”

“You are a nice young lady. You did nice things for Mr. Fraser and his friend. Why would anyone treat you badly if you have only treat people nicely?”

She still hadn’t faced either one of them. She let go a very uncomfortable sigh, now twisting also her arms. She became quiet.

Fraser said, “Perhaps I’d better leave now.”

He noticed Linda didn’t move. It seemed she was having a great deal of difficulty to express herself. After a long pause Dr. Lennyard nodded. “Perhaps you’re right, Constable.”

The Canadian looked at the ground, put his hat, a Stetson, and said, “Thanks for everything, doctor.”

“Likewise, Constable.”

After all the trouble he had gone through and everything he held dear, Fraser couldn’t explain why he wasn’t able to stay in such an important hour for Linda. He knew that facing this “ghost” would be tough on the girl. Dr. Lennyard had talked thoroughly with him after realising that the Mountie had been so intrigued with his patient that had started to investigate her. The psychiatrist had practically told the Canadian the whole story of Linda’s life. Or at least what they knew of it.


	4. Chapter 4

## Chapter 4

Fraser still had a bit of trouble absorbing Linda’s story – or what they knew of it.

Orphaned at the age of three, Linda was left with an alcoholic father who as either a scumbag or a pervert – or both. When she was rescued by social services, at five, the girl showed chronic malnutrition and various evidences of physical and sexual abuse. For three more years she was abandoned in an orphanage, hardly taking notice of the world around her. Her custody and guardianship went to the state of Illinois. It was believed she had mental problems. So she was taken to a mental institution, where she was treated as a mental patient for years. Serious damage had been done until the doctors found out, five years later that she had a serious illness, but it was only emotional. Linda had shunned the world out. She responded (weakly) to animals, kids, and to people in difficulties, but other than that, she was oblivious to her surrounding, living in her own inner world.

But she heard everything. And reacted emotionally. Dr. Lester, Dr. Lennyard’s mentor, was the first one to notice. She took Linda as a protégée and noticed she could learn to read and write. With great doses of patience, the doctor spent years leading the girl to huge progress and began to try a slow reinsertion in society. Linda proved herself very helpful, always helping those in need. Soon Linda was helping the clinic’s employees, and she learned how to clean, cook, even help in the garden.

Her case picked up Dr. Lennyard’s interest when she was at the threshold of socialization. After she began to take her own medication without help and without failure, the doctor decided it was time for a revolutionary approach. He accepted her as his legal ward and proposed something new – living by herself outside the hospital, with a job inside the hospital, so he could supervise the whole thing. At first, Linda was scared of everything, and she learned carefully all the rules, but everything was so new and enticing to her. She gladly accepted the very strict rules, because she knew she was considered mentally incompetent (for legal purposes) and anything wrong she might do would be considered Dr. Lennyard’s fault, and the whole project would be shut down. She wouldn’t want that.

It was Linda herself that had the idea of finding a second job. It was a matter of a lot of discussion. She just complained of the lot of time she had on her hands outside the hospital, and she wanted to do something with it. Dr. Lennyard made a new set of rules when Linda came up with Mrs. Robinson’s ad. Then there was the process of hiring her and explaining to Mrs. Robinson everything about Linda’s condition. The old lady, who had been abandoned by her only daughter, received Linda as if she were family, and accepted her immediately.

The medic community was unanimous in agreeing that Linda had made tremendous progress, a hallmark case in pshychiatry. Her case was the main subject of many papers Drs. Lester and Lennyard had written and she was still under study. Dr. Lester moved away to Europe, and Dr. Lennyard took over her case, ensuring much of Linda’s progress. Such progress, however, did not mean emotional stability. Dealing with the opposite sex, for instance, was one of the few things that made Linda step back into emotional retraction.

So, when Fraser demonstrated gratitude and interest in her, she reacted in the only manner that seemed plausible: physical pain and self-punishment, reliving her father’s abuse. No wonder she referred to it as a ghost that attacked her when she as treated nicely and that only came when she was sleeping.

As he walked home, Fraser noticed he had only been instrumental in Linda’s present crisis. She’d probably have many more. He had hoped he’d be around to help ease her emotional pain, try to help her trust a little in the world, help her be happy. The Canadian knew he only reflected his own feelings, for during his stay in Chicago, there were times he felt as alien as Linda, in a strange world he couldn’t understand completely. Just like Linda, Fraser wasn’t good in contacting, expressing or dealing with his feelings. Maybe helping Linda was a way of helping himself.

Fraser arrived home, and his new apartment was in a neighbourhood as bad as the first one. It was his second apartment in Chicago. The first one had been burned by an arson performer called Greta Garbo, about the same time he found out Ray Vecchio had been “substituted” by another man. It had been such a difficult time in his life. Alone, without his best friend in an strange city, in another country, having as a partner a complete stranger he had to call friend, exiled, thrown out of the fleatrap he called home – he thought he had hit rock bottom. So he decided to live in the Consulate for a while. There he felt a little bit safer, a lit bit closer to home. Even if it meant staring at Turnbull and Thatcher seven days a week. And at his father’s ghost Robert Fraser every now and then.

After the events that followed the true Ray Vecchio’s return, Fraser decided to move to another apartment. His job in the Consulate hadn’t changed, so his pay check was still the same and he was forced to look in the places where rent was lower. Ray and he revived the old partnership and Stan Kowalski, who was Vecchio’s substitute, had accepted another undercover job. Fraser hoped that blond cop could find a north in his life. They were friends, of course, but he and Vecchio had a different kind of bonding. They were like brothers and the Vecchio clan was like his own family.

So it was no surprise that Fraser was so upset when Ray was shot during a stupid drug bust, and no one could tell if he was going to make it. Knowing of his fierce sense of loyalty, Inspector Thatcher had given her subordinate some days off. However, since he was not family, he didn’t have permission to enter the Intensive Care Unit. He stood stoically by the center’s door for days, waiting until Ray got better. He had to see him. He’d wait as long as it was necessary.

Hence came all his gratitude for that girl who, without knowing, had given so much peace to the Mountie’s heart. Linda’s attitude, to almost get in trouble just to let him see Ray and to take care of him and find him a place to rest and give him coffee, had touched him deeply. Before her, nobody, except Ray, had shown this level of acceptance to him without knowing him at all. He was a stranger and she had been so kind to him. Fraser felt his heart swelling and he knew he just needed to help her.

First, Linda simply disappeared before he could thank her. Fraser had looked for her in the whole hospital. He talked to the staff and began to uncover the puzzle that Linda turned out to be. Unlike the other nurses, her boss, Mrs. Sorelli, had been very helpful, giving him her address, Dr. Lennyard’s phone, and Mrs. Robinson’s address. He had been fascinated by what he found out, a story so different from other women he knew. Stories from his past clouded his heart, and he realizes his past was trying to catch up with him and bring him down.

He went inside his Spartan apartment trying very hard to maintain his heart peaceful. Linda was the present, and she needed him whole. She didn’t need him tangled in the mess of unsolved and extremely hidden feelings.

Fraser fed Dief and sat at the table, choosing not to eat, his stomach too agitated. The wolf put his head on his mate’s lap. The Mountie imagined how vulnerable the girl should be right at that moment and decided to call the hospital later, maybe at the end of her shift, maybe take her home.

Little did he know that the future had different plans for him…

*******

“* _Bambina_.*” There was genuine joy in Mrs. Vecchio’s voice when she greeted Linda. “Come inside.”

Linda obeyed and whispered, “I’m sorry, I know it is late.”

“Nonsense. I know you work hard. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Please don’t wake up Mr. Vecchio. I only came to see how he is.”

“He is doing fine. Tomorrow he may start to walk a bit.”

“This is wonderful.” Linda tried to smile as she looked at the man sleep in bed. “I am glad.”

“* _Cara_ *,” said Mrs. Vecchio, noticing Linda’s expression of exhaustion and concern. “Don’t you feel well?”

“I’m fine. Maybe a little tired. Dr. Lennyard gave me the night off. But I had to stop by the ICU to talk to Mrs. Ritter and I wanted to know how Mr. Vecchio was.”

“You are so kind. But you got to rest. And don’t walk home. Here,” She got some change from her purse. “Take the train: my treat. I’ll feel more at ease knowing you didn’t walk home.”

“Oh, I can’t accept it, Mrs. Vecchio.”

“I won’t have any of it, * _bambina_.* Now you go rest. I tell Raymondo you stopped by.”

“I hope he gets better soon.”

“He’ll be happy for your concern. You are a nice girl.”

Linda asked, “Mrs. Vecchio, do you need anything? Is everything clean in here? I can clean the bathroom, change sheets or…”

The old Italian woman shook her head, “No, * _bambina_ *, you must go and rest. We are all fine, here.”

“OK, then. Thank you, Mrs. Vecchio. And say hi to Mr. Vecchio.”

Deep inside, Linda was glad Mr. Vecchio was asleep. That gave her a little more time before it was time for her to be at Mrs. Robinson’s. She needed that time. To think.

The talk with Dr. Lennyard had been quite disturbing. It had brought to surface old wounds that should have been healed at this point, but they were not. She had much to think about. It was no surprise that Linda didn’t see any of the world around her when entered the El, still in scrubs and let the train take her away, as her mind ran faster than the wagons.

Memories of the difficult childhood had come to light, and Linda had cried intensely inside, although not even one tear had fallen at the doctor’s office. She could hear a distant cry inside her head and she knew it was her own, at a tender age, from when her father abused her. Flashes from the past filled her mind, running faster than the train, hurting her soul. This time, tears flooded her face.

She couldn’t clearly see images of herself inflicting wounds in her own body like the doctor said she was doing, and blaming her father’s ghost for it. Could it be that the ghost that had been chasing her for so long might live just in her mind? Could she be in the habit of hurting herself?

Linda was so self-absorbed in these amazing suppositions that she was oblivious to the traffic and the coming and going of passengers and commuters, her eyes glued to the outside, unaware of the Chicago’s night scenery. Linda could recall many times when she woke up with bruises and cuts that seemed to have no explanation, and so she hid them – thinking ghosts made them. Could they have been self-inflicted? The doctor said that her unconscious might be punishing her body because of its carnal desires.

How could that conversation disturb her so much? The words and ideas that Dr. Lennyard mentioned during this conversation hadn’t been much different than those that he had used in many conversations they had before. Linda hadn’t heard anything new. Yet they * _seemed_ * new. It was as if he had given her the means with which she could have her own revelation. * _Yes, revelation_ *, she thought. * _That was what it seemed_. *

Linda knew she had embarked in a journey of guilt and self-punishment most people couldn’t even begin to imagine. The scars of the deep wounds imposed by her father had resulted in Linda’s profound inability in dealing with the opposite sex. She had never had a boyfriend. She believed she could never have one. She didn’t believe anyone could love her. And she also believed these things shouldn’t be addressed, because they hurt a lot.

Well, but the doctor made quite the contrary. He had touched those very hurtful things, and this time they had hurt like hell. But they had made Linda recognise she had desires. She didn’t want to be alone and live without someone by her side. She saw her co-workers talking about dates and boys, and she felt very lonely. She wanted to do those things. But she wouldn’t know what to do near a boy. If a man came to talk to her, she wouldn’t know what to do or say. She was bashful, clumsy, uninteresting and quite frankly strange – not to mention she was regularly called weird and nuts, among other names she had learned to recognised and learned to live with.

So, Linda shunned this type of thought, because it wasn’t worth having them. Thinking about it was a big and complete waste of time. She’d never have a boyfriend, much less a husband. It was only as matter of time until she returned to the mental institution, anyway. Maybe, while she was still in the outside world, she could dream, but that was the most she could do. Those dreams would never become true, not to someone like her. To believe in anything else was to believe in a lie and that would get her back in the institution even faster.

About that she was very careful. But in her dreams, Linda wanted her imaginary boyfriend to be as nice and kind as that man, Mr. Fraser, had been to her. She had been very angry with him for some minutes because he talked to Dr., Lennyard, but then she remembered that he had always treated her with so much respect that she could hardly believe. He was also very grateful to her for what she did to his friend, Mr. Vecchio. Linda liked to talk to ICU patients, so she didn’t understand the fuss they did about it. Those patients didn’t complain, nor they hurt her with harsh words or bad jokes. Of the waking people, Mr. Fraser was one of the kindest men she had ever met. Mr. Vecchio and her mother, too. She wished they were very happy because they were very nice people.

Some loud noise right by her side disturbed her thoughts. Irritated, Linda looked at her side and her face fell. There was a young man reeking of alcohol staring at her. He had a gun in his hand, a partner with an ugly face and an even uglier attitude.

“Didn’t you hear me, lady? I said let’s go. Get out!”

Linda tried to run towards the door that was about to open when the train stopped, all her things falling to the floor. But her aggressor jumped in front of her, capturing her in his arms.

“No, no, little nurse. You’re gonna regret trying to escape!” The gun was now aimed at the passengers, huddled at the end of the car. “Now everybody quiet, because we’re getting off. No one tries to follow us. We’ll take the little nurse. If no one moves, no one gets hurt, OK?”

Linda saw everything happening as if it was a dream. A bad dream. A dream that was terribly similar to those memories of her father, spanking her, touching her, cursing her, abusing her… As she was dragged away in the cold night by the two strangers, reality seemed more and more distant, and it might never return.

*** * ***

It took two entire days until there was news from Linda. Of course, no one would even know she was missing if it wasn’t for Mrs. Robinson trying to contact the landlady, asking if she was sick. Then the two ladies tried the hospital. They had the answer that she had left early due to personal reasons. The women then went to the Canadian Consulate in Chicago and talked to that nice Constable who might know something. Fraser became quite worried and tried to find out where Linda might be. His worries increased when no one could produce even one piece of concrete evidence of the girl’s whereabouts.

Her nametag had been found inside an El car where a hold-up had taken place that night. Linda also matched the description of a hostage that had been taken by the duo of criminals responsible for the hold-up. Chicago PD was on the case and followed a bunch of clues, now with Fraser’s help. He said it was a personal request from Detective Vecchio and his family – which wasn’t far from the truth, actually. Fraser tried everything to find Linda. The Mountie followed leads, talked to snitches, tracked personally the two suspects. From one train, she could have been taken to another, he figured, and followed all possible leads.

His efforts and relentless phone calls to the entire Greater Chicago Area paid off: a hospital outside Peoria said they had received an unconscious Jane Doe in very bad shape. Fraser went to check out the info and found out Linda in an induced coma, due to the extension of her wounds.

As far as the authorities and doctors could tell, Linda had been left to die in a small hole outside town. Undernourished, beaten, she was found by children who played in an abandoned landfill and rescued by a medic team. She was half dead. The Canadian went in a guilt trip and got Dr. Lennyard’s help to arrange for her transfer to the hospital where she worked.

In two days, Linda got out of the ICU. The doctors only knew that she had come out of the coma by the cat scan and by the fact that she had opened her eyes. They held an empty expression. Fraser tried to talk to her, and smile to her. She didn’t seem to acknowledge his presence. She didn’t move, she didn’t react to anything or anyone. Fraser started to get restless by her lack of response, and then some orderlies firmly removed him from Linda’s presence.

Dr. Lennyard tried to explain him about the trauma in an already delicate case. Linda had slipped into a catatonic state, and could reverse into being what she had once been. Fraser wouldn’t accept that. He had tried to obtain permission to be by her side, but he was not family nor next of kin, so he could only stay during visiting hours. Besides, Inspector Thatcher had returned from her trip to Ottawa and she was breathing fire all over him. He had to work hard at the Consulate.

Fraser felt bad. He was feeling guilty for what happened to Linda. In his opinion, hadn’t it been his selfishness or stubbornness in talking to Dr. Lennyard, maybe she would not have been hurt. The psychiatrist had tried to dissuade him from such thoughts, as well as his friend Ray Vecchio. The policeman was about to be release from the hospital and he could visit her during his exercise hours. Both of them talked to her, even when she was unresponsive – mirroring her own actions when she talked to the ICU patients. But it seemed nothing could take her out of that state. She was motionless.

Fraser was telling Linda a beautiful Inuit children’s tale about the last caribou when a nurse went inside the room to take her temperature. Fraser recognised her and asked, “Should I go out, Miss Crystal?”

The nurse’s eyes seemed even hungrier than Ray’s sister Francesca when she answered, “No, Constable, it won’t be necessary. It won’t be long.”

It was a quick procedure. Fraser was curious. “How is she?”

“Same old, I’m afraid. At least, she doesn’t have a temperature.” Fraser sighed. “It’s really up to her, you know? But Linda was never a fighter. What does she win? For instance, that woman at the ICU, the one she liked so much? She went out of the coma right now, after more than 16 months. You know, the one Linda called Mrs. Ritter. She liked to call her that because she didn’t want to call her Jane Doe – Linda thought she deserved a name like anyone. Anyway, she’s out of the ICU, she’s conscious now, she’ll go on with her life and she’ll never recognise Linda or everything she’s done for her. That Mrs. Ritter is an ingrate, that’s what she is.

The Mountie never had the chance to share his ideas on the subject, because the nurse just shrugged and left the room. He came back to Linda’s side, near the bed, and told her the good news of Mrs. Ritter. The girl had her eyes open, but she didn’t move. She didn’t even blink.

Dr. Lennyard hadn’t made a secret that if Linda didn’t show any glimpse of reaction when her physical wounds healed, she’d be taken back to the mental institution. The doctor always said that there was a great deal of a chance that this could happen, because Linda had a pattern of shutting herself after such a big trauma. And once back inside the institution, her chances of ever getting out again were quite small. Fraser felt himself going at the brink of desperation when he heard that. What could he do to force Linda out of her cocoon?

Desperate measures for desperate times. In no time he had a plan.

That night, Mrs. Vecchio would stay with Linda, and Francesca had been voluntary to stay with Ray in his room, because Maria had to take care of her sick child. With this, Fraser would be more than free, to make the necessary arrangements.

In the middle of the night, while Linda slept without medication, Fraser had come inside the room and gesture the Vecchio’s matriarch to the corridor. He said, “I can take it from here, Mrs. Vecchio.”

“No, Benito, no. You can rest. You have to work tomorrow.”

“It’s all right, Mrs. Vecchio.” He took her hand gently. “You can stay with Ray if you want. I take care of her.”

The old lady smiled. “You’re a kind man, Benton. I’ll stay with my Raymondo, then.”

Fraser smiled and waited until his friend’s mother had gone out the hallway to produce a muffled whistle. At the sign, a white streak of lightning disguised as a wolf went inside Linda’s room. Fraser installed Diefenbaker in the chair near the girl’s bed and the animal licked her face, calling her, coaxing her to respond.

Linda moved a bit and opened her eyes. Dief, then, licked her furiously and whined softly. Her eyes shone, showing recognition – for the first time.

“Dief...?” Her voice cracked.

The wolf climbed into her bed and wagged his tail, whining louder, as he licked her even harder than before. The girl raised her arms, trying to protect herself from the amorous lupine attack. “OK, OK. I’m awake, Dief. It’s all right.”

Dief got back to the chair and stood in attention, ears propped up, staring anxiously at her. Linda then turned to Fraser, that smiled and said quietly, “Welcome back, Linda.”

She could feel her eyes filling up with tears and pain and turned her head away from him. Dief called her again, now putting his muzzle in her covers. Fraser say her shoulder shaking and heard a muffled, ugly sound. It was a sob. Linda had started to cry.

Sounds of crying fell over Fraser like a blessing. They were the first sign that she had started to heal.


	5. Chapter 5

## Chapter 5

Now that Linda had become more cooperative, her treatment was much easier. The difficult task had been making her allowing to be treated. She constantly felt bad to be such a nuisance to so many nice people. Fraser, however, noticed that she didn’t feel so clumsy around people anymore.

When doctors allowed Linda to walk a little, Ray took her to the hallway to visit Mrs. Ritter, who actually was called Miss Lorraine Robinson, and was in fact daughter of the same Mrs. Robinson that accepted Linda as her lady in waiting. Linda was very happy that Mrs. Ritter now would have a home, and that Mrs. Robinson had her daughter back. It seemed a happy ending to everyone – well, except to Linda, that had lost her second job. But she didn’t mind that. It seemed she had made two good friends.

Linda was released from the hospital; but she was supposed to rest a few more days at home. It was an odd concept to her. She didn’t know exactly what to do. She received care not only from Fraser and the Vecchios, but also from the landlady and from some of her co-workers, that went to her apartment, to see how she was doing. The girl had never felt so loved, and there were times when she cried of pure joy, when no one was looking.

After a few days, she went back to work and everybody noticed a slight change in her. Linda wasn’t that strange kid, or the crazy girl that cleaned the floor. She seemed to having acquired a sense of confidence about herself. Of course she was still respectful and courteous to everybody around her. But she wasn’t so submissive or scared anymore.

For those who didn’t follow the case, the changes seemed radical. It became quite common to see Fraser or Ray taking the girl to the hospital. Linda found out she enjoyed their company, and she started to be regularly invited to the Vecchio’s, for some Sunday dinner or even in no special occasion. Ray’s sisters, Francesca and Maria, liked Linda very much, and the same happened to the children – Ray’s nephews and nieces. Linda had a special talent not only with sick people and animals, but also with children.

Linda also became extremely familiar in the 27th precinct, where Ray worked. Sometimes she even hung out with the detectives and investigators. There wasn’t a soul who didn’t like her and even Lieutenant Welsh developed a fondness for her, as some sort of mascot of the unit. Since her shift began at the end of night, she still had time to hang out at a bar with some of the detectives before going to the hospital. She drank a glass of orange juice each time, her favorite drink.

Dr. Lennyard was extremely satisfied with his patient’s results. She was becoming an adjusted and self-reliant young girl, quickly growing to be a fully functional member of society. And it all happened in relatively short time. It took only a few months of friends who loved and cared for her, and Linda was responding very favourably. He had always known that she didn’t have any mental illness, that’s why he decided to give her case special attention. Now the results were showing.

Other person extremely happy with Linda’s progress was Fraser. The Canadian had total conscience of his role and responsibility in all the development of the young girl’s social skills. His kindness in taking her out of her shell and joining the human race was based in the Mountie’s conviction that the young girl was amorous and kind, and all she needed was love and tenderness. On one hand, he knew that everything he did for Linda was more or less what his friend Ray did for himself when he arrived from Canada right after his father had been killed. Linda also felt like a stranger in that place and Fraser knew that loneliness was a very bad feeling, so he tried to make things easier for her.

Socialization’s supreme experience would come when Fraser had seen himself without a date for a formal reception at the Consulate. He thought it would be an excellent opportunity for Linda to experience a true party. She was in shock when he invited her, and he did so right in front of the whole Vecchio clan, in a sunny Sunday dinner.

Ray was thrilled. “Benny, what a great idea!”

“Thank you, Ray. So, Linda, may I confirm your presence?”

“Me? But, Mr. Fraser, y-you can’t be serious.” She was flushed. “I-I couldn’t go.”

“Why not? I thought you’d like to go.”

“But... That’s n-not my place. Beside, I don’t even have appropriate clothes to go to such places.”

Francesca said, “Don’t be silly, I can lend you a dress. And it’s about time for you to go to a real party. I’ll help you. And so will Maria. Right, Maria?”!

“Of course!”

“See?” Fraser was smiling. “It’s all done. Unless you don’t want to come with me.”

“No!” Linda didn’t mean to shout, and she tried to contain herself. “Sorry, I meant, it’s not that, Mr. Fraser. It’s just… I’ve never been a party… I’m so clumsy…”

Before Fraser could say anything, Francesca said, “Stop saying such things. I have told you I don’t want to hear you saying these things anymore. And come with me. We’ll find you a special dress.”

She grabbed Linda by the hand and they started their way up the stairs. Maria followed them, complaining, “Hey, wait for me!”

The girls went up, and Mrs. Vecchio followed them with her eyes. When they disappeared up the stairs, the old lady smiled sagely and squeezed gently Benton’s hand between hers. “I’ve always know you were a good man, Benton,” she said, in that special way she had of saying things. “That is very generous of you.”

It was Fraser’s time to blush, because her intentions were far away from being generous or noble. He had thought about inviting Linda to the reception because some of his feelings had surfaced in a very uncomfortable way. Now he needed to confirm some of them, and they involved Linda.

Ten days after that, Fraser was all dressed up in formal red serge, in total attention, staring at the Vecchio’s stairway. He was nervously picking and rearranging at a corsage, trying to hide his anxiety. From those stairs, Linda would descend after spending the whole day at the hands of Frannie, getting ready for the reception. Fraser recalled the frenzy that the girls had been through all those days, choosing dresses, make-ups, hair styles and everything under the sun. Linda seemed to have a lot of expectations about it and Frannie seemed anxious in showing the world her creation, like a Pygmalion or Galatea.

For a second, Fraser started to doubt that it had really been a good idea. The Consulate would be crowded, and there would be diplomats and foreign officials all around during the reception. It wasn’t even a great occasion, only a protocol reception to some foreign delegations. Besides, he would be working, so he might not be able to give Linda all the attention she deserved. She already knew it, and had promised to behave as it had been told. But Frannie had filled her head with images of a ball like the British Empire, so Fraser had doubts that he could give the girl everything her expectations could imagine.

All those thoughts, however, fled his mind when from the Vecchio’s stairway, Ray showed up, bringing Linda by the hand. Fraser felt his heart missing a beat and his pupils dilating. Linda was dressed in a long, deep blue velvet gown, her long neck frame in a delicate golden necklace and her auburn hair up in an exotic bun. Fraser felt reality missing for a few seconds, and a dream was walking down the staircase. Dief whined and even Mrs. Vecchio gasped when she watched the girl walking down the stairs.

Ray put Linda’s hand on Fraser’s hand and smiled. “Well, Cinderella, here’s your Prince Charming. You have to excuse him, Linda. I think he wasn’t ready for you.”

Linda blushed and lowered her eyes, shyly, avoiding looking at Fraser, that couldn’t take his eyes off her. Frannie asked him, “Benton, aren’t you going to say anything? Isn’t she beautiful?”

Even more flushed than Linda, Fraser matched the red serge when he stammered, “I-I… Yes, I… Indeed, Francesca, I… I must say… You look… very nice, Linda.

The girl smiled and turned pink. “Thank you, Mr. Fraser. You are also quite elegant.”

Clumsily, he offered her the corsage. “Here… it is. To you, I mean. Yes, it is to you.”

“To me?” She got confused. “But I… I…”

Frannie saved them. “Let me.” She attached it to Linda’s dress. “There you go.”

Ray asked, “Are you guys ready? I can take you right now.”

“Thank you, Ray”, said Fraser, and the trio left.

In more ways than she could number, it was a dream to Linda. It wasn’t only her looks – clothes, hair, nails, make-up, perfume –, but also her date, everything was much more than she could ever imagine. When Ray left them at the Consulate, a man opened the car door for her. It was Benton Fraser. He took her by the hand, and all the heads around them turned to see her solemnly entering the diplomatic representation of the Canadian Consulate in Chicago. She was so nervous that Fraser smiled at her, and that warmed her inside.

He took her to a great hall where a crowd was all spread out, talking, and a suave music was played by a string quartet. Hypnotized by the sights and sounds, Linda barely noticed that Fraser took her to a corner of the ballroom and sat her on a table, saying, “I got to work, now. You can sit here, if you want.”

She just nodded, unable to pronounce a single word, in an ecstasy of excitement. Fraser disappeared among the guests, and went to see his duties. Every now and then, he craned his neck to check on Linda. She wasn’t even blinking, her eyes glued on the dancing floor, on the tables, on the beautiful people all around her. As a gentleman, Fraser took five minutes to bring her a soft drink and an assortment of hors-d’ouvers, which went untouched, because she was so excited that she couldn’t eat. Linda was quite excited just to be here.

The night went on when Fraser asked Inspector Thatcher special permission to dance with Linda. When he took her by the hand, she didn’t believe what was happening. She was about to be in the mist of all those people so beautiful, so elegant, rich and educated, and… she was about to dance with * _Fraser_ *!…

Then she remembered.

“But I can’t dance!…”

“Too late.” Fraser cast her his most seductive smile. “We’re already in the dance floor.”

Without waiting for anymore answers or resistance, Fraser put his hand on her delicate waist before leading her on a slow song. Linda kept her eyes low, trying very hard to keep her heart inside her chest, because it seemed to want to leap out of his body. Dancing seemed to be inebriating, but with Fraser she felt as if she was about to melt as snow in the sun. The couple attracted looks in the ballroom and many young men started asking themselves who was that young lady in blue velvet.

As a gentleman, Fraser couldn’t refuse when he was asked to surrender Linda to a younger man, that looked her from afar and that had been doing that even when she was sitting at the table, observing the party. Fraser saw the panic in the girl’s eyes when the boy took her to the dance floor, but Fraser whispered it would be discourteous to refuse. So, she danced with the boy, searching for Fraser from time to time with her green eyes to extract confidence.

The Canadian felt his heart swelling with pride. Weeks prior to that, Linda would have run away from that place, even run away from him if he asked her to dance. In that night, however, she was one of the most attractive women of the whole ballroom. Her delicate, gracious manners had been noticed for all men in the place. And she was his date. Even Inspector Thatcher had congratulated him from bringing her, suggesting she might entertain sons or nephews of ambassadors or officials. He decided to ignore the implications of his superior officer’s comments. Fraser felt a mist of pride and jealousy of the young men that obviously compete for the young girl’s attention. She was his lady and that was very satisfactory.

Fraser returned to his attributions while Linda danced the night away, and he finally realised it was getting late. The Canadian found her in a corner of the room, surrounded by boys, and by the look of intimidation in her eyes, Linda was quite frightened. It was too much, too soon, for the poor girl. He had to “rescue” her from all the male attentions and she cast him a look of utter gratitude and relief as he escorted her back to table. After a few minutes, he returned with her coat and Inspector’s Thatcher permission to take her home.

The cab stopped in front of her building when Linda politely asked, “Would you like to come in?”

“I have to go back. I’m still working. Did you enjoy yourself?”

Linda’s smile could illuminate the whole Midwest for a week. “Very much. Thank you so much for taking me, Mr. Fraser.”

“I’m glad you liked it. I also enjoyed myself. You dance very well. And you had a lot of dance partners.”

She blushed. “They were nice people.”

“You look lovely, Linda. The boys saw that.”

She was profoundly embarrassed. “I had a wonderful time.”

“Now have some rest. Good night.”

“Good night, Mr. Fraser.” In an impulse, she stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Then, ashamed, she ran to her apartment. Fraser looked at the Stetson in her hand, also flushed by the lady’s gesture and the reaction it had caused in his body. He went in the cab and back to the Consulate.

Inside her apartment, even excited as she was, it took Linda no time to fall asleep and see herself in a dream. Again.

*******

Francesca decided it was time for Linda to enjoy Chicago’s night time, so she and her lady friends took her partying in Linda’s night off. To Ray, that was a direct result from the night Linda went to the party at the Consulate. He was happy to see that Linda was finally having the life she should have, and Fraser agreed, imagining the effect Linda was causing in boys her own age, as it had happened at the Consulate.

At the first weekend, Linda insisted to sleep at home, but at the second time Frannie and her friends took her to a nightclub, the youngest of the Vecchio family convinced Linda to sleep in the house. Ray took Fraser and some detectives to shoot pool, and Linda asked to go, too, but Frannie told her there was no point in hanging around a bunch of cops in a dirty pool room. Ray recalled Linda had done this before, and she had had a good time. But in the end, Linda was convinced to go dancing.

When Ray arrived home, late at night, however, he could have sworn he had heard sobbing coming from the room where the girls were sleeping. Someone was trying to cry really low, so no one else hears. He thought maybe Frannie needed help. Because Frannie had a special knack for attracting men with problems.

“Frannie?”, he called out, in a whisper.

He recognised his sister’s soft breathing. At her side, Linda was covered from feet to toe, unmoving, probably exhausted from dancing. Ray walked out of the room convinced he had heard too much.

In the morning, however, Ray went in the nearest bar to grab some coffee and read his paper in silence, something he couldn’t do in the busy Vecchio house. He was out of luck, however. Some of the neighbourhood kids were there, and they were also loud.

“Hey, man, what about last night?”

“Great! There’s a new girl, one you can’t believe!”

“Really?”

“A hottie! And seems to be easy to pluck.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. She’s a nutjob. That’s the truth, man, she’s even been to an asylum or something like that. Now she works in a hospital. Must be really easy to take in bed.”

“Sure. Someone knocked her yet?”

“Not yet. We’re taking bets. First one that gets the weirdo can make some serious cash.”

“Hey, what if we make a party out of it?”

“Can’t be hard to make. Heard she lives alone. What about we make a visit?”

“Is she really hot?”

“You should see those hooters, man! When she dances, they really swing. I can’t wait until next weekend!”

They laughed out loud. Ray turned pale. His mind easily made the connections and he cursed. No wonder Linda had asked not to go dancing. She was being molested. And she was crying.

Ray stormed inside the house. “Francesca!!”

“Ray, keep it down!” She ran down the stairs in her pink robe, hair filled with pins. “What is the matter with you?!

“Where is Linda?”

“She has gone home, because she had to work the early shift. Ray, what is your problem?”

He just couldn’t control his wrath, “My problem? Let me tell you what my problem is! I was in a sleazy bar, hearing some low lives making disgusting remarks about Linda. That’s my problem! Now I ask you: do you know anything about this?”

“What kind of remarks? What are you talking about?”

Ray fumed, “Frannie, they were betting on who nails the weirdo first! Tell me what you know!”

She was shocked, “Me?! What would I know about it? Who was it?!”

HE was mumbling, his hands in fists, “The girl has been abused her whole life and when she thinks she finally has a break – “ He stopped suddenly. “You said she was going to the hospital?”

“Yes, she said she was going home first, then she was going to work. Ray, let me dress, then I’ll go with you.”

“No. I’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of it my way.”

He left with his whole body shaking, and Francesca screamed at him. Ray slipped inside the Riviera, his Italian mind in action, gathering a plan.


	6. Chapter 6

## Chapter 6

Linda’s heart started to accelerate as soon as Nurse Barbara told her she was being called with urgency to the ER. She ran from the fourth floor, barely remembering that there was a new patient in the ICU and that she’d love to talk to him, even though he was in a coma. But urgent calls of living people to the ER took precedence. It would have to wait.

When the elevator’s doors opened automatically, she immediately heard typical sounds of a busy ER of a hospital of a great city such as Chicago. There were shouts of course. But strangely, she recognised one of the louder voices in the chaos. Getting closer, Linda found out her suspicions were correct. That wouldn’t prevent her from being scandalized to the extreme.

“Ray?! What are you doing here?”

He spotted her and walked towards, dragging by the jacket a young man who really didn’t want to be there.

“Ah, Linda, finally. I just wanted you to listen some of the things this useless scumbag wanted to tell you.” He pushed the boy near her. “Tell her, moron!”

Linda had seen the teen before, in her nights of dancing with Frannie. She didn’t have pleasant memories of him. Now he looked intimidated, and furious. “Hey, man, that hurts!”

“Ray, what are you doing?”

“Look, Linda, I just what you to hear what this guy has to tell you.” He turned to the boy and kicked him. “Hey, slimebucket! I can’t hear you!”

The guy looked at Ray, furious, then with obvious reluctance, pronounced, low, without facing Linda. “I… apologise.”

The Italian grabbed the boy’s jacket and shook him up, emphasizing each word full of contempt. “That’s not what I want, you little piece of crap! That’s not what you want to tell the lady. Now you tell her you are very sorry and that you are very lucky that I don’t arrest you right now and that you will never, * _ever_ *, do that again, to her or to any other woman. Isn’t that what you want to do, you little shit?”

“All right, all right!!” The boy cracked, always looking at Ray. “I am sorry about all the things me and the boys said about you., We won’t do it anymore. With anybody.”

Ray repeated, “That’s right, because if you do, you know what will happen, right?”

The boy was terrified, “Right. Yes, Sir. Yes, sir, yes. Can I go now?”

“I’m not sure. I’m really not sure, you dirty little scumbag. Let the lady decide, then. Is that all right, Linda? Can he go?”

Linda was more than embarrassed. “Please, Ray, let him go.”

“OK, piece of shit, I’m just doing this because she asked me.” Ray threw the guy against the wall, and he whirled out of there really fast. Ray laughed. “He was just scared. I am very sorry for everything that happened, Linda. Frannie said she didn’t know what was going on.

“Of course, Ray. Thank you. It was nice of you.”

“Look. You don’t have to take any abuse, OK? You can talk to me. Or to Fraser.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for. And we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course we are. Look, Ray, I have to work now.”

“Yeah, me too. How about dinner tonight? I’ll pick up Benny and then we’ll pick you up. Is that OK?”

Linda blushed. “I’d like that, Ray.”

“See ya.”

He left the hospital and Linda was red again, when she returned to her routine. Dinner with Ray was good, but Mr. Fraser’s presence would be another effort to her. Lately, the Mountie’s company had been producing some quite ambivalent feelings.

Linda found out she was in love with the Canadian. But she also knew she had no chance to see her love come true. It was such a sweet pain to stand next to him, noticing his breathing, his perfect teeth, all the little things he did with his eyebrows, or his discussions with Ray. No to mention his special deferment to her. It touched Linda, but she knew that he behaved like that to all members of her sex.

She couldn’t help but notice how women were attracted to him, and he couldn’t pretend to ignore the effect that he caused on women. Many of these ladies were very refined and attractive, the type of beauty Linda couldn’t compete. Sooner or later, one of these women would capture his heart.

Beside, why would Fraser think of Linda in any other way? Linda knew it was a blessing, a gift from heaven that such wonderful man called her his friend. So; those feelings must be kept very well hidden, or that friendship would be ruined.

Linda finished her shift trying to dispel these thoughts; said goodbye to all her friends in the ICU and went home, to sleep for a while before Ray picked her up for dinner. Then she noticed the car near her building, and it wasn’t the first time. She recognised it as a 1979 brown Plymouth, and then she smiled, thinking that she spent too much time among men to know that much about cars. It wasn’t the first time she saw that car near the apartment. But probably it was some new neighbour’s car.

The night was a very pleasant one and after a nice Italian dinner, Ray left her at the hospital for a work night. When she came home, she noticed the Plymouth once more. Only this time there was someone inside it. On a stakeout. A man over 40. She looked at him, and he seemed to panic. And he went to her. She thought about running.

“Please,” he called out. “Wait!”

“What do you want? Who are you?”

“Please, don’t be afraid. My name’s Carter and I work with Detective Vecchio.”

Linda was puzzled, “I’ve never seen on you on the precinct.”

“I was transferred recently. Look, Vecchio kills me if he knows you’ve seen me.”

“Why?”

“I’m here to protect you. A dangerous criminal that sworn revenge over Vecchio has escaped out of Joliet. Since you are his friend, he wants to protect you from him. The man would do anything to hurt Vecchio’s friends.”

“Why didn’t Ray tell me any of this?”

“He didn’t want to scare you. The guy may even have fled the country. Look, Miss, I’ve had some troubles with the department and this is my last chance. If someone knows I’ve blown my cover, I’ll be in trouble. Can you keep that between us?”

“Sure, Mr. Carter. Just try to be more discreet.”

“Of course. Thanks, Miss.”

“Just call me Linda. Want to come in for a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks. It’s bad enough that I scared you, but fraternizing is totally out of the question. So don’t worry. I’ll be here all the time.

“Nice to know. Thank you, Mr. Carter.”

Linda got home glad to know she had such a good friend as Ray Vecchio, that worried so much about her safety. She took a relaxing bath then slept peacefully during the afternoon. When the night fell, she went to see Dr. Lennyard, as it was planned. He said, once again, that Linda should tell Mr. Fraser how she felt. She said, once again as well, that she didn’t want to spoil the friendship, and said she was more than happy just to be his friend. The talk went into a known pattern and ended as usual. Linda felt that she had progressed so much in the last months. She wondered if Dr. Lennyard couldn’t reward her by talking about things that didn’t hurt her as much. Her love for Fraser was kind of hurtful. She’d rather not talk about it.

Linda started her shift planning a dinner for Sunday night went she’d be off work. Maybe she’d invite Lt. Welsh and Elaine, too. She talked about that to her friends at the ICU, as she did her job. She liked to talk about personal stuff with the patients there.

At noon, back home, she didn’t even enter the building. In the sidewalk, Mr. Carter crossed her path, distressed.

“Miss Linda!”

“Mr. Carter!” She was amazed. “Shouldn’t you be under cover?”

He took her by the arm. “There’s no time. You have to come with me right now.”

“Why?”

“We have to move you to a safe location. The criminal sent a message saying he’d come after you. Let’s go.”

Linda became so scared that she began to shake, but she remembered. “I need to get some things upstairs.”

“There is no time. I’ve already told your landlady you would be away for a few days, and Vecchio will tell the hospital that you won’t be going to work. Do you need to alert anyone else?”

“I guess it depends on how long will I be gone.”

“Just for a few days.” He took her to the car. “Don’t worry. It won’t be long.”

Linda took the back seat of the Plymouth. “I’ll have to ask you to lie down. Don’t let anyone see you. It’s a precaution., OK?”

“OK. Is it OK if I get scared, too?”

He joked, “You’re not scared of me, are you?”

“No, but if this man is really dangerous, won’t he find us?”

“We’ll be leaving town, and we’ll be at a safe house. Don’t worry. I’ll be around all the time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carter.”

“Now you can sleep for a while if you want. I know you get home very tired from your work.”

“All right. You can wake me up when we get there.”

They stopped at a gas station to a rest a bit. Linda was thirsty and, as she was drinking her soda, she saw that the day was coming to an end. Then she felt she was getting very, very tired. And she lay down again, so she’d sleep a little bit more.

*** * ***

When Linda woke up, she was in bed, in a dark room in a place that she didn’t know. She didn’t remember getting there, but she knew she was under police protection, so she relaxed a little. She got up, felt a little dizzy and stretch lazily, supporting herself on a wall when she swayed. Then she left the room.

She reached the living room/kitchen area when Mr. Carter was cooking something. He heard her coming and smiling.

“Oh, you’re up. I hope you rested well.”

“I hope so, too. I didn’t wake up. Where are we?”

“In a safe place. Look, there are clothes for you to wear. I had to borrow them, I hope they fit you.”

“We’ll manage, thank you. But I’d like to take a shower first, if possible.

“Sure. Bathroom is right there. When you’re done, we can have supper.”

“OK.”

She entered the shower, still fighting the sleep effects. It was great to feel the hot water on her skin and somehow that gentle touch made her remember Benton Fraser, whose fingers surely must have that kind, silky touch as –

NO! She was shocked to have such thoughts and scolded herself severely. * _Forbidden thoughts, Linda, forbidden to you!_ *

Linda rushed to finish her shower, panting and flushed. She’d have to end those feelings. The love she felt was doomed to never reach fruition, and her friendship with Mr. Fraser was all she’d ever had. She should be grateful for that, and not dwell on those impossible fantasies. Linda thought that maybe those days away from him might help discipline her heart.

Mr. Carter was waiting for her with the table ready when she left the bathroom.

“I hope you enjoy bad food. I’m not a good cook.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself. Besides, you’re lucky. I’m so hungry I could hardly complain.”

“Good.” She waited until she was seated and served her. He said, “You know; you don’t look scared.”

“I’m not.”

Carter poured her orange juice. “But there’s a dangerous man after you. Doesn’t that frighten you?”

She smiled at him. “You are here to protect me.”

“I’m flattered at your confidence. But I told I’ve screwed up before. Aren’t you concerned I might mess up here?”

“You’ve been chosen by Ray Vecchio, haven’t you?” He nodded. “Ray would never have given you the job if he didn’t think you’d be up to it.”

The declaration had a great impact on Carter. “Do you trust Vecchio that much?”

“He saved my life… after a fashion.”

“How is that so?”

“His friendship (and Mr. Fraser’s) taught me I have a life worth living. Before he and Mr. Fraser came into my life, people used to think I would end up back into a mental institution and end up my life there. And I am not even 20 years old! But they’ve helped me out, you know? They’ve supported me, and let me into their lives. Ray’s family has practically adopted me. This means the world to an orphaned person such as myself. I.. I had never had anything like this.” Linda felt quite emotional, and her eyes were full of unshed tears.

“So you’d risk your life for them?”

Linda was already attacking her food. “Without a second thought. Humm, this is good.” She pointed the food. “Oh, I’m starving.”

“I’ve calculated you three had a bond, but not that strong,” murmured Carter, pensively. “I knew you were friends, but I couldn’t know it was like… that.”

“We are good friends, and I’m very proud of it.”

“Are you Vecchio’s girlfriend?”

Linda laughed. “No, of course not. I don’t have a boyfriend. My… medical history, so to speak, frightens any candidate.” She shrugged and an image of a smiling Benton Fraser was severely dispersed. “But I have friends, and since I got them, I have never been alone. Never more.”

Carter smiled tenderly. “You are very interesting, Linda. You know, when I read your file, I had a very different impression of you.”

“You read my file?” She was amazed. “I * _have_ * a file?”

“Of course, I had to know everything about you.”

Her eyes widened before she drained the juice. “You had to?”

He shrugged. “It’s part of the job.”

“You are a very meticulous man, Mr. Carter. It’s hard to believe you made a mistake.”

His voice seemed bitter. “In my line of work, it pays to look upon every detail. And as a matter of fact, Linda, now I’m getting very sad. No matter what happens, I want you to know something. There’s something I need to tell you. You are a good girl and you don’t deserve what’s about to happen to you.”

“I’m sure nothing’s going to happen to me. You are here.”

“Oh, something will happen, all right. It will happen * _because_ * I am here. My real name is Carver. Vecchio arrested me a few years ago.”

Puzzled, Linda finished her meal, sure he was joking. “It’s a joke, right?”

His face was very sad when he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but it isn’t. I’m very sorry for having to lie to you. And I’m sorry for what I have to do to you.”

Linda looked carefully at him. Mr. Carter (or Carver) really didn’t look as if he was kidding.

_But that means he is a bad guy_ , she realized.

Linda felt fear penetrating her skin, her heart almost stopping, alarm bells ringing inside her head. Her eyes widened again, now in panic, and she pushed her chair back, standing up, trying to gain distance from him, as she felt her throat closing, her voice becoming higher and weaker. “Please, get away from me.”

“I can do as you ask, but it won’t matter. I have been putting drugs in everything you drink or eat. Soon you’ll be asleep again.”

She ran to the nearest door, but it was locked. She tried to open it, “Help! Somebody help me!” She shook the door, then turned to him. “Please, let me go. Let me go!”

“Forgive me, Linda.” Carver sounded so sincere. “I am really sorry.”

She was strongly inclined to believe that everything was but a dream because it just _couldn’t_ be happening. Linda had her back against the wall, trying to stay as far away as she could from him. The world began to swirl. She tried not to cry, but her voice was shaky. “Mr. Carter, or Carver, please… I trusted you… Let me go… Please...”

“Linda, I can’t.” He tried to keep her attention. “It’s too late. Vecchio needs a lesson.”

Linda felt the world spinning faster and sat on the floor, dizzy. The room was whirling. “What is happening to me…?”

“It’s the drugs”, said Carver. “You’ll be out cold soon.”

It was true. She could feel consciousness leaving her fast. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t hurt me… Please, Mr. Carver…”

Linda felt the darkness and the unconsciousness closing in, taking hold of her body. One of the last things she heard was Mr. Carver’s voice, filled with bitterness, “Forgive me, Linda, I am sorry.”


	7. Chapter 7

## Chapter 7

It was dark and Linda wasn’t sure of being awake. She moved in bed, trying to remember what happened. She thought she had heard a voice; a voice she probably knew…

Suddenly she sat up, even though it was pitch black, the facts flooding back all at once in her had. She had been double crossed and kidnapped. The man had introduced himself as Ray’s friend, as a cop, but he was in fact a criminal. She realised that Mr. Carver should be close. * _I must get out of here.*_

In the dark, Linda stood up and stretch out her arm until she found a wall and followed it, using her hand to feel, trying to find a light switch or something, trying to avoid tripping on any piece of furniture. Maybe she could escape that room before Mr. Carver arrived. She had to find Ray somehow and warn him.

Linda fought again her terror, which made her shed tear and shake her legs and arms and breathe shallow. But she let out a yelp when the lights suddenly turned on by themselves. Her heart almost stopped. She could see that she was in a room with no other furniture than a chair, a bed and a huge two-way mirror, just like the ones in the precinct, and there was also…

… a door.

Linda ran towards the door without thinking, and it opened, but it was to let Mr. Carver in, and he was carrying a tray. Linda got so scared that she ran back to bed and shrunk into a ball, holding her legs. Mr. Carver seemed pleased. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

“Stay away from me.” She tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn’t. “Don’t come any closer.”

Ignoring her, he smiled and put the tray on the chair. “There’s food. You must be hungry.”

“No I’m not.” She knew her food had drugs in it. “No, thank you.”

“Look, now that you know about the drugs, do you think I’d try that? I’ll have to do what I have to do without the drugs, that’s all. Come on, Linda, you must be very hungry.”

As if he was dealing with a caged animal, he stepped away from the tray and looked at her. As if she was really a caged animal, she just stared at him, then the tray, fighting panic, but feeling hungry.

Carver shrugged. “I’m going to leave it here. But I don’t want you to starve. I’ll be back later, when you have eaten.”

He left the room and Linda heard a lock on the door. She sighed, depressed. She tried very hard not to cry in desperation. How could she escape?

Linda soon noticed she was not only hungry; she was starving. Maybe he was saying the truth and the food was not laced. Carefully, she got closer to tray and nibbled the sandwich. It was delicious, as well as the fresh juice. It made her feel good. She was even hungrier than she realised and she ate everything there was in the tray.

Shortly after that, she became sleepy again. Could if be effect of the drugs? Damn it, he lied to her! She panicked, but not for long. Coming back to bed, she fell instantly asleep, entering in the depths of unconsciousness, a grey, liquid world.

* * *

For a few seconds, while still not fully awake, Linda wondered what could be stopping her arm from moving. She opened her eyes and the light in the room almost blinded her. She turned her head and saw she was chained by her ankles and wrists. Reality punched her in the stomach. She was a prisoner.

She was kept in bed, small but sturdy hooks holding the chains. She jingled the chains, testing them and the metal noise didn’t sound very promising in any attempt to escape. Actually, a getaway had just become even harder.

Her clothes had been changed. Linda blushed with the possibility that Mr. Carver might have seen her only in her underwear. But the miniskirt and blouse seemed much more comfortable than she wanted to admit. Of course she wouldn’t admit it. Not chained to a bed, prisoner of a man with blatant intentions of using her to avenge himself over Ray Vecchio.

Linda looked around as much as she could and found out there was another type of chair near the bed. But the bed and the two-way mirror hadn’t changed. She tried to imagine what could Mr. Carver’s plan be. He would use her, of course, but with what purpose? Attract Ray and Mr. Fraser to that place?

Her chances of rescue weren’t so many. No one knew where she was (including Linda herself) and no one would miss her until some days passed. Maybe Ray realised something was wrong when he came to pick her up for dinner and she wasn’t there. But since she had been drugged for so long, she didn’t know how long ago that was, or how long she was there. Maybe Ray found something was wrong when the landlady said she had gone on a trip with the police. After all, Ray was a good cop. In any case, Mr. Fraser could catch something out of the air, as he always seemed to do most of the time. Maybe there could still be a chance.

She looked at the chains and tried to pull them hard. Nothing. No, they were quite strong and they wouldn’t budge. She sighed, trying to convince herself not to cooperate with her captor. After all, cooperation could mean Ray’s life. If Carver wanted cooperation, he’d might sweat a little.

As if reading her thoughts, Carver opened the door. “Good. You’re awake.” He closed the door. “Now we can begin.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Just a few answers.”

“What are you going to do to me?”

“You’ll see.”

He got closer.

Linda felt her heart racing, but she was bound and had no means to escape. She could feel the fear on her body, but maintained her focus on her anger so that she wouldn’t panic. Sitting on the chair, Carver smiled. “You’re frightened, aren’t you?”

“You know I am,” she admitted. “But I don’t know what you could possibly want from me.”

“You’re Vecchio’s friend.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes, I am.”

“You said you’d do anything for him.”

Linda couldn’t see his point. “So?”

“I want to know how much it’s true.”

She felt the tension taking its toll. “Look, I didn’t lie. I said I’d risk my life for him. So if you’re going to kill me, you can do this right now, because I’d do anything for Ray.”

Carver raised an eyebrow. “Why? He’s no good cop.”

“He’s my friend.”

He left the chair and got closer to Linda. “He didn’t even take an interest in protecting you. Now you’re here.”

“He’s a good man. He can’t imagine what goes through your sick mind.”

“You’re here because of him. This is all his fault.”

“It is not!”

“You are stubborn, girl.” He sighed. “What about his friend, the Mountie?”

When hearing about the man she loved, Linda blanched, but she wouldn’t let her captor’s words make her lose control. No, she wouldn’t threat Mr. Fraser like that! She tried to sound casual. “What about him?”

“Is he also your friend?”

“Yes, he is, why?”

“He also arrested me.”

“That’s a lie.”

“I tell you no lie.”

“Well, it can’t be true.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“He’s Canadian. He has no jurisdiction in Chicago or in the State of Illi-“

For the first time he shouted, interrupting her, “Don’t play smartie with me, missie! That Mountie of yours keeps helping Vecchio and you know it. I even tried to kill him once, did you know it?” Linda shuddered lightly. “Now I got plans for him, as well.”

Linda tried to sound unimpressed. “To Mr. Fraser? He’s too smart for you!”

“You got some friends, kid. They abandoned you, and now here you are: kidnapped, captured, at the mercy of a person you couldn’t see was your worst enemy… If they really were your friends, they would have protected you.”

“I told you: they couldn’t know what goes through your twisted mind.” She sighed, then she opened up her heart. “Look, Mr. Carver, I have also been sick. But now I feel so much better. I can get help for you, too.”

Carver smiled to the girl. “Yeah, maybe I could forget about them two. Would you help me do that?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Anything?”

“Yes.”

“Would you be willing to do anything to help Vecchio and the Mountie?”

“Of course.”

“I’m going to ask you again, Linda. Are you really willing to do _anything_ for your friends?”

“If you promise not to hurt them, I’ll do anything you ask me.”

“Would you sleep with me?”

Linda blushed and looked at him, looking for signs of hesitation. She found none, and a great pain settled on her stomach. She tried to keep her voice steady when she answered. “Yes.”

Carver got closer and she tensed. His fingers started to slide the outer side of her thigh, still covered by the miniskirt, and he asked, his voice getting more and more sensuous, “What if I brought a friend to our little party?” He stared intensely at her with hungry eyes, and she couldn’t help a shiver. “Would you go with two at the same time?”

For one moment, memories of her father and his abuses blinded Linda. Suddenly breathing was hard, her chest was tight. All she could do was nod and shut her eyes really tight, her lips white from pressing with so much strength. So much pain…

Suddenly a sob, and tears.

She heard a noise at the door and opened hear teary eyes. Carter had gone and returned a few minutes later with a glass of water. He helped Linda drink and after that he stared at her for long minutes, just stared at her. Then he left and Linda could finally cry all she wanted, let out all the pain and fear. That was getting much more dangerous than she had imagined. She started to get tired, very tired, her head aching and her arms hurting.

Linda ended falling asleep, induced by drugs again.

*** * ***

Linda heard everything from afar. There was an insistent voice talking lots of things and it woke her up. It sounded like and argument. But Linda wasn’t totally awake, and it all looked liked a dream to her.

She raised her head and saw Mr. Carver talking severely to someone she could not see. Her poor senses could barely let her know that Mr. Carver was trying to hypnotize that person. She could only pick up a few words: “Midnight, Tuesday, shame, unthinkable…” * _It doesn’t make sense_ *, thought Linda, running in a chemically created fog.

Happily, she found out she could move arms and legs, so she tried to sit up and clear her eye sight, so she could now who was being hypnotized. Her eyes, however, didn’t help. She saw Mr. Carver, and the person, who she wasn’t sure had recognised. She squinted, surprised.

“Mr. Fraser…?”

He was sitting in a chair, all stiff, his eyes wide and without blinking. Linda found that very odd.

Mr. Carver suddenly turned to her and ordered harshly, “Linda, go back to sleep.”

There was something in Mr. Carver’s voice that she couldn’t resist. Without complaining, she lay back once more and returned to sleep.

* * *

In that hazy world of grey, Linda believed she had heard her name. Soon, someone was shaking her up intensely and she opened up her eyes. She was very glad to do so.

“Mr. Fraser…!” She smiled sleepily. “How nice to see you…”

The Canadian hurried her. “Linda, can you walk?”

“I don’t know.” She felt her head spinning. “I don’t feel very good, Mr. Fraser.”

“You’ll get better, Linda, but we need to get out of here. I need you to help me, OK?”

“All right, Mr. Fraser.” She sat on the bed. “I’ll do anything.”

“Then let’s go.”

Fraser helped her stand up and walk. Linda tried not to think in the sensation caused by his arms holding her, their bodies together, the heat he radiated, the way he smelled…

“Now we must keep quiet,” said Fraser, interrupting her thoughts.

“Wait,” she said. “We have to take Mr. Carter.”

“No, Linda. He is not a good man. He can come later.” He dragged her gently. “Now let’s go.”

She tried to walk, but all she could do was tumble to the door with his help. She was way too drugged, feeling totally happy, her head light and fluffy. There were plenty of things she didn’t understand completely.

Suddenly, Mr. Fraser was hit in the head and let go of her, losing his senses. Both fell on the ground. Linda was a little bit dizzy, but she saw that Mr. Carver was the one who had hit Mr. Fraser. Mr. Carver helped her get back into bed and she was ordered to go back to sleep. * _No problem_ *, she thought, falling happily into oblivion once more.


	8. Chapter 8

## Chapter 8

This time, what woke Linda up was her own stomach revolving. And she couldn’t move, because the chains were back in bed. Wrists and ankle tied in bed, spread-eagled, same as before. At least now she was more alert and felt much better. Hunger also helped her feel more conscious. Then she heard a question, “Are you hungry?”

She raised her head and saw Mr. Carver looking down at her. * _He looks tired_ *, she noticed.

Linda answered his question, “No.”

Actually, she was ravenous, but she didn’t want to admit, because she was afraid that he would drug her again. Mr. Carver must have noticed something, because he smiled. “I know you are lying. But perhaps it’s for the best. It saves us time.”

Linda shuddered and followed her captor with her eyes as he took a chair and sat by her side.

“You know, Linda, you are very lucky. We have a visitor.” She stared at him, puzzled. “It seems your friend the Mountie really knows how to track a fugitive. And he found us.” Linda tried not to look too hopeful, but he must have noticed, because he shook his head. “No, sweetie, I am sorry to break down your hopes like this, because now Mr. Fraser is also a guest, just like you. As a matter of fact, he is just on the other side of this mirror right now. I want him to see us. I really want him to do that.”

“Why?”

“You say he is your friend.”

“He is.”

“I’m giving you a chance to prove it.” Linda was even more puzzled. “I have your friend under my power and I’ll kill him.” She trembled. “Or release him. It’s up to you, really.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” Carver moved closer. “Are you really his friend?”

“Of course I am!”

“Would you do anything to release him?”

“Yes, I would.”

“Do you want me to let him go?”

“Yes, please.”

“So are you willing to ask me nicely?”

“Please let Mr. Fraser go.”

Carver smiled and shook his head, rising from the chair. “No, no, Linda, my dear Linda. You’ll have to do better than that if you want to see your friend free. He’s probably looking at us right now, through that mirror. I made it a point that he saw us. He’s counting on you, Linda. If you could see him, he’d probably beg you to let him go.”

Linda was almost in tears. “Please, I ask of you: let Mr. Fraser go.

“You’re his friend, aren’t you?” Linda nodded, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “You would do anything to keep him from suffering, right?” She nodded again, and the tears fell. “So tell me once again, Linda: are you willing to do anything for your friend? That’s what true friends do for each other, isn’t that right?”

“Yes. Please let Mr. Fraser go. I’ll do anything.

“Tell me again, Linda: will you let me have you?”

Linda’s heart tightened, because she knew what he meant. He had said before. A tear fell from her eye and rolled from her face when she nodded, and Carver asked again, “I want to hear it, Linda. Will you let me have you?”

“Yes…” It was almost a sob.

“I want your body, Linda” She had to squeeze her eyes shut so she wouldn’t cry out loud. “Will you let me have your body?” She nodded, holding her breath, and Carver warned harshly, “I’m not hearing you, Linda.”

She instantly said out loud, yet shakily, “Yes, Mr. Carver.”

“I want to hear your answers, Linda. You don’t want to make me angry, now, do you?”

“No, Mr. Carver.” She was shaking.

“Good girl.” He sat on the bed and taunted. “Yes, good girl. Now, Linda, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do, OK? I want you to have as much fun as I know I am going to have.”

“Yes, Mr. Carver,” she whimpered.

“Remembered: this is all your friend’s fault. I could hurt them for the things they are doing to you. Are you sure you don’t want to see them punished for this?

“No! No, Mr. Carver. Please, set Mr. Fraser free.”

The man put his hand on Linda’s thigh. “All in its time. It’d be nice if we could talk first. You know, I’m curious. You, Vecchio and this Fraser guy are friends, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you had good times together?”

“Yes,” Linda wasn’t sure where this was going. “We had fun together.”

“And how did you do it? Did you fuck Vecchio while sucking Fraser or was it the contrary, you fuck Fraser and suck Vecchio?”

Linda was shocked, almost breathless, and tried to say, “No! We… never…! That…. no!”

“You see, Linda, in _that_ I don’t believe. All three together and no one never made a move?”

“Of course not!”

His hand moved up to her waist and he moved to closer to whisper sensually, “Don’t tell me none of the brave boys ever put their hand on these thighs, these breasts, or didn’t taste your hot, juicy pussy…”

Linda felt her muscles hardening at his unwanted touch and braced to hold her scream. But a moan slipped unchecked by her lips. She feared that this could make Mr. Carver angry and harm Mr. Fraser somehow.

Then she heard a muffled sound, as knock or a thump coming from the other side of the two-way mirror. Carver laughed.

“It seems our brave Mountie is getting a little restless in there. Maybe he’s feeling alone. What do you say if he joins our little party, Linda?”

“NO!” She couldn’t hold the yell. “Please, let him go!!”

“What? Don’t you want to service your friend? Don’t you want to pleasure him?”

Linda could no longer control her emotions and she cried as she begged, “Please Mr Carver… Please, if you want to do anything to me… then do it…. But please don’t harm Mr. Fraser… please let him go…”

“Oh. This is so touching it actually excites me.” Carter touched one of Linda’s breasts and fondled it, clothed as it was, and the girl tried not to cry. “Yes, it does indeed.”

He undid her shirt and her bra, caressing her breasts, and Linda felt the world spinning, her stomach revolving even more at the repulse of his touch. His lips soon replaced his hands and the girl felt her nipples hardening at that wet and harsh touch of his tongue.

The banging on the mirror increased, as Linda tried to detach her mind far away from the sensations her body was experiencing. Maybe, if she thought all of that was a nightmare, she could handle it. She was so scared that a wrong reaction could harm Mr. Fraser that she was not only willing to seek refuge in a fantasy but also to withstand the sacrifice of her body.

Carver let his lips roam her stomach, her breasts and her neck, before moving up to her cheeks and lips, tasting the skin pale and firm. He used both hands to wrap her in his arms and lay his body on top of hers. Linda was trembling and tried to suppress a yelp when her skirt was lifted and rough fingers slowly took off her panties. Her skirt was taken off, and she was naked. The banging on the mirror was getting frantic, but Linda didn’t hear, a loud roar in her ears.

Suddenly, her panties were torn apart and Linda yelped in fright, as Carver positioned himself in between Linda’s spread legs. He leaned in to lick the inside of her thighs Frightened, she winced in her bonds, and he nibbled her in the junction of her leg and groin, in the heart of her womanhood.

Tears streaked down Linda’s cheeks, and Linda feared her captor’s reaction if she complained. Carter slipped a finger inside Linda’s wet centre and she moaned, arching in bed.

Then a loud noise was heard, a noise of glass breaking, and Linda yelled in terror, closing her eyes and trying to shrink, as Carver was violently taken off her. The door was also taken down and she heard several people shouting, and she could no longer contain her crying. That was when she recognized Ray’s voice, “Grab a blanket!”

She called out, “Ray! Ray!” Her voice was all strange.

Hands release her from the chains and she finally could throw herself in Ray’s arms, ignoring her nudity, seeking comfort. Then she remembered, “Ray, Mr. Fraser! Mr. Fraser is being held here!”

“We got him, Linda. Everything is fine.” Ray’s eyes were filled with pain when she buried her head in his chest, sobbing. “Everything is going to be all right now.”

Linda was shaking in Ray’s arms and she held him for dear life. She only raised her head when she heard another familiar voice. “Mr. Fraser!!”

“Linda!” He went to her, and he looked as he, too, had gone through a rough time in Carver’s hands. “Linda, I’m so sorry.”

She looked at him and smiled. “You’re safe now, Mr. Fraser. I’m glad.”

Fraser’s eyes sparkled even brighter to Linda, still fiercely clutched at Ray. She smiled at Fraser, and there were so many emotions going on there that Fraser thought he, too, would start to cry. Ray arranged Linda’s blanket over her body and told her. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

The three of them were almost out of that horrible room when they heard a yell.

“You!” It was Carver, taken by custody, staring at Fraser, his eyes shooting daggers with hatred. “I curse you! My curse will force you to do an abominable act. You won’t hurt any one, but you will do something you deemed unthinkable. It’s stronger than you; you won’t be able to control yourself. No one will die, and you won’t be hurt yourself, but you will feel unworthy of your friends and of your uniform. This will be my revenge. Try to live with your act by tomorrow night, if you can, Mountie!”

Carver was shouting, being drag by the officers and Ray felt Linda shaking with fear. “Let’s go, Benny. Let them pick up the trash.”

Linda cried quietly all the way back to Chicago.

At the 27th Precinct, she only complained when they tried to pry her apart from Ray. Only Fraser’s guarantee that Ray wasn’t going anywhere made her obey and go with Elaine to put some clothes on. Then she was taken to the interrogation room for an official statement.

“Linda, you don’t have to do this now,” explained Ray, as he handed her some tea. “If you prefer to do it tomorrow, after you rested…”

In tears, she said, “No, Ray, I need to talk. It’ll be best if I talk.”

“All right, then.” He kissed the top of her head. “Remember, there’s nothing to be afraid. You didn’t do anything wrong, and everybody here wants to help you.”

Another detective interrogated Linda, but she insisted that Ray was by her side all the time. The Italian was proud of his young friend. Although the girl sometimes had occasional bouts of cry, her answers were secure and held no hesitation. If she were to be called for testimony on a court of law, she’d be an excellent witness against Carver.

During the three days she had been held by Carver, Ray had feared for her life. He blamed himself for never imagining her as a target. After all, who would want to harm a sweet little creature such as Linda? Only an animal such as Carver might think of something like that. His Italian blood sang on his veins, and this time he wanted to make sure the bastard got what he deserved. Ray’s consolation was that he didn’t become half as scared as Benny.

Since Linda disappeared, Fraser had changed totally. He had taken sick days just to follow the leads and help the detectives who were on the case. Then he had disappeared for a whole day and had left a message saying where he’d be and that he had found them, but he couldn’t wait for reinforcements. That was when he’d been caught. At least he had found Linda.

Not in time to prevent the worst, thought Ray, disgusted. Ray knew that, by that time, her doctor, Dr. Lennyard, probably would have arrived. Her testimony would be taken to him later. Ray was really proud of Linda. Of course she was shaken, but Ray had feared that she would shut herself in once more, just like she had done when she had been mugged on the El and left to die on a hole months before. This time she had reacted much better. Actually, Ray thought that she had reacted even better than most rape victims he had seen.

After her deposition, Linda was taken to another room, where Dr. Lennyard was waiting for her. She hesitated before going in there and turned to Ray. He asked, “Is everything all right, Linda?”

“I want to talk to the doctor, Ray, but…”

“What is it?”

“Could you wait to bring me home? I don’t want to go alone.”

“Of course.” He smiled. “Take your time.”

“Er… Ray?”

“Yes, Linda?”

“Could you do me a favour and take a look at Mr. Fraser for me? He seems to need a friend.”

“I’ll do that. Now stop worrying and go see your doctor.”

Linda smiled and stretched to kiss his cheek. Ray smiled back and went to see his friend. He found Fraser sitting at his desk, cleaning his wounds from his forearms. No one had realized, but he had busted the two-way mirror at Carver’s hideout, in an attempt to avoid Linda’s rape, and some fragments had found their way to his skin. Ray had almost thought Fraser had been drugged, because he looked totally irrational when they stormed in the place. It took Ray a while to realise that the Mountie had lost his mind in disgust and revolt for what Carver had done to Linda. For the first time ever, Ray had seen Fraser unable to contain his emotions.

In that exact moment, treating his wounds, Fraser looked distant, thought Ray. He looked pensive. Maybe regretful.

Ray approached carefully. “Hey, Benny.”

“How’s Linda?”

“Better than I thought, my friend. She’s worried about you.”

“I know. She’s very… sweet.”

“Benny, what happened?”

The Canadian cast his head down, examining his hand attentively, spotting some scratches and then said, without facing Ray, “This was all my fault, Ray.”

His friend was lost. “What do you mean?”

Fraser’s voice was full of remorse and pain. “Carver wouldn’t have hurt her if I weren’t there, Ray. I just got things worse. If I weren’t there…”

“Then Carver would have found another way to torture Linda, Benny. You know that. You know what he did before, the hell he had made us go through. Now you’re doing exactly what he wants: you’re suffering and crying for something _he_ did. You know what Linda has just taught me? Don’t let him get you, Benny. Don’t give this son of a bitch what he wants.”

Fraser stared at his friend, finding solidarity in the big green eyes. His own grey-blue eyes relaxed. “I think you’re right, Ray.”

“Of course I am. Now why don’t you go home? Enjoy the leave the Dragon Lady gave you.”

“I want to stay with Linda. I need to… apologise.”

“Benny, you didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve got nothing to apologise.”

“I…” He tried to look at Ray, but he couldn’t. “It’d make me feel better.”

“All right, buddy. I think she’ll be happy to see you.”

Fraser smiled and followed Ray to a hallway in the precinct. The Canadian’s heart, however, was not totally peaceful. It still held too much hatred when he thought about what that man did to Linda. Now he knew he had true feelings for the girl. Slowly, gradually, Linda conquered his heart, with her kindness, her innocence, her sincere smile and her genuine concern. Fraser wanted to make her his, but he didn’t know how. Specifically, due to Linda’s traumas from the past, he was afraid that she might get scared. Linda looked stable at the moment, but her medical history indicated that there was a great risk of relapse. Fraser had consciously chosen to love her from a distance, to stay by her side until she was ready for him. Someday she would be, he had hopes of that.

His hopes might not be so out of reach.

Even though she had to retell for the tenth time everything that happened, Linda only trembled once or twice when talking to Dr. Lennyard, and that was when he asked her about Fraser. Her feelings for the Canadian didn’t change, but she was afraid. She still couldn’t talk to him calling him other thing that was not Mr. Fraser, although he repeatedly asked her to call him Benton, reminding her that she called their other friend Ray. But that would be too intimate. She couldn’t believe that he someday would want to be with her, so she got used to the idea that it was enough only to be by his side. When that horrible man had threatened Fraser, Linda knew that she’d do anything and everything not to let anything happen to him. Dr. Lennyard said it had been a noble gesture, and that she should think about telling Fraser about his feelings. She wouldn’t want to risk the friendship they had.

Linda got out of the room half an hour after she had come inside, and Ray went to her. Fraser was with him.

“You look tired.” Ray noticed. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“What time is it? Maybe I should go straight to the hospital. I have to go to work.”

“Linda, you can’t go to work. You’re exhausted. Besides, I already called Mrs. Sorelli. She said you’re on medical leave.”

“That’s good. I am tired.”

Ray took his two friends to his Buick Riviera, that was parked right in front of the precinct. He warned Linda, “Ma is waiting for was with some warm soup. And you’re going to sleep in Frannie’s room.”

“Why?”

“Doctor’s orders. He said you shouldn’t sleep alone tonight.”

“All right. But I don’t want to trouble your mother, Ray, It’s so late.”

“It’s no trouble. We’ll just drop Benny home first, OK?”

“OK.” She looked at the Canadian. “Mr. Fraser, are you all right?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You look upset. Are you worried about the curse?”

Fraser went pale, and Ray immediately noticed something wrong. “Benny?”

“Well, Ray…”

“I don’t believe it! Is that why you’re moping all night? Are you worried about that hocus-pocus thing? How can you believe in that stuff, Benny?”

“I’ve seen many strange things, Ray. Among the Inuit…”

“Carver is surely no Inuit, Benny.”

Linda got in the discussion. “But we have time to break the curse. We got until tomorrow night.”

“I’ll tell you what,” decided Ray. “We’ll have dinner together tomorrow. You’ll see that nothing will happen, and that Carver was just trying to scare you.”

“I hope you’re right, Ray.”

They took Benny home, and then went to the Vecchio’s. Linda was pampered by the whole family, due what had happened, and had Ma Vecchio’s miraculous special chicken soup. Mrs. Vecchio herself tucked Linda in and she fell into a dreamless sleep, feeling safe and taken care of.


	9. Chapter 9

##  Chapter 9

Linda woke up very late in the next day. After properly thanking the whole Vecchio family, she went to her apartment and talked to the landlady about what happened. She also dedicated herself to house chores as taking care of laundry and kitchen. At sundown, she decided to go to the 27th Precinct to ask Ray if dinner was still up.

“Of course it is.” He smiled. But then his smile fell. “Let’s go. We’ll pick up Benny on our way.”

Linda was immediately concerned. “What’s the matter, Ray?”

“It’s Benny. That thing of the curse is freaking him out. I tried to talk to him, but you know how he is. Benny can be really stubborn when he wants. He went to work and didn’t even enjoy his day off!”

“Maybe we should spend some time with him,” Linda suggested. “After dinner. So he would not be alone at the time of the curse.”

“Good idea.”

The Mountie waited for them outside the Consulate. When he got inside the Riv, Linda could see he was really worried, although he avoided to touch the subject. Her heart was worried for him. She loved him, and she cared very much about him. She wished she could take off that load off his soul.

The three of them went to a new Italian cantina that Ray had heard about and the night passed very pleasant, until dessert. That was when Ray’s mobile phone rang and he answered it. When he flipped it shut and put it back inside his suit, his face was not that good.

“I’m sorry, Benny, but I’ll have to take a rain check on that chess game. It seems Welsh wants me on a stakeout.”

Linda noticed Fraser’s shoulders falling down in disappointment, but he tried to keep his voice neutral. “It’s all right, Ray.”

“I’ll take you guys home, OK?”

Linda rushed to say, “No, I – I’d like to go Mr. Fraser’s apartment, if that’s okay with you guys.”

“What?”

“Mr. Fraser shouldn’t be alone at midnight tonight. After that I can go home.”

Ray thought for a while, and then nodded. “Sounds good. What do you say, Benny?”

“Well, I- I… I mean, I…”

Ray shook his head. “I don’t believe you, Fraser. You’re the most annoying person I know. Linda is right. You’re acting pretty weird – at least weirder than usual. And it’s not a good idea to leave you alone. I don’t believe in all this mumbo-jumbo of a curse, but it’s obvious that you believe in it, so it’s not a good idea to leave you all by yourself tonight.”

Fraser seemed reluctant. “But Ray, do you think it’s wise?”

Ray wasn’t feeling particularly patient at that moment. “Linda is your friend and she’s offering to stay by your side. I wish I could stay, too, but I can’t, Benny. Which part of it don’t you think it’s wise?”

“It’s just that… if the curse is real… Linda might be in danger….”

Linda reminded him. “That’s not so. Mr. Carver said loud and clear that you wouldn’t hurt anyone and that you wouldn’t hurt yourself either. You’d do something unthinkable and disgraceful, that’s all. I don’t think there’s any danger involved.”

“Yeah, Benny, it’s all right. Now let’s go.”

Ray almost left his cell phone with Linda, so she could call for help, should anything happen, but he thought it’d be better to let them run to Mr. Mustaphi if they needed. Ray left them with strict order to call at the first sign of trouble.

Linda could feel Mr. Fraser’s restlessness in the Riviera all the way to his building and when they went upstairs to his apartment. So, as soon as they went inside, she asked him very sincerely, “Mr. Fraser, tell me honestly: would you prefer that I go?”

“No!”  He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry I gave you the wrong impression.”

“I only want to help. And it’s only ten past eleven, so I won’t be here for long. Right after midnight, I can leave.”

He smiled and she blushed at the beautiful sight of him smiling.  “I’m sorry, Linda.  It’s not that I don’t want you here, and you can stay as long as you like. I’m getting very worried, that’s all. I hope Ray is right, and there’s nothing to this curse after all.

“Let’s hope so.” She looked around. “Where’s Diefenbaker?”

“I left him with a friend called Willie Lambert. I didn’t know if he’d be in danger, so I thought he’d be safer away from here. Diefenbaker is very dear to me.”

Linda looked at him. “You look very tense, Mr. Fraser. I think a nice chamomile tea will make you feel better. Would you like some? I can make it for you.”

“I’d love some, Linda, thank you.”

She loved being able to make him tea. Actually Linda was acting in a fantasy of hers, imagining what it would be like to have him around all the time, or what would it be to cook for him, clean his house. She didn’t even dare to look at his bed, although as she prepared the tea, she remembered Carver’s words about Ray and Fraser and herself.

* _No!*,_ she scolded herself severely. * _Forbidden thoughts, Linda!*_

They sipped the tea in silence and Linda felt the tension building on the air. She tried to disperse the awkward moment. Fraser, however, began to breathe harshly, as if he was in difficulties. Linda felt her heart racing.

“Mr. Fraser, are you all right?”

“I can feel it… It’s working…”

It was the curse!

Linda widened her eyes and looked at the watch. Almost midnight. 

Suddenly Fraser rose from the chair and opened the window to the emergency stairs. His movements were so sudden and unexpected that Linda reacted in a flash and jumped right after him, grabbing him by the shoulders and shouting, “Mr. Fraser, don’t!”

He stopped and stared at her. She blushed beet red when she realised she had touched him and stepped back, casting her head down. “I’m s-sorry... I though…You might jump…”

Then, impossible as it seemed, she blushed even more, her face turning to ruby red, when she realized that she could never had stopped him had he really wanted to jump. A man of that size, actually a trained police officer totally capable of defending himself, would have disarmed her with a wink of an eye.

Fraser was still panting.

“No, I just… needed some… fresh air… I didn’t want… to jump… at all…”

Linda tried to recompose herself, leading him back to the table. “Well, then… Maybe… Perhaps… Please, sit on this chair by the window, OK? Perhaps the tea was too hot. I’ll bring you a cold drink right away. Let me see what you have in the fridge.”

She went to the refrigerator while he kept on panting, seating on the chair. He opened the appliance. “How about a nice cold glass of milk? Just wait a second, Mr. Fraser, I’ll wash the glasses so you can drink.”

Linda went to the sink and started to wash the glasses, her mind pretty worried. If Mr. Fraser got sick, she could try first aid, but she’d have to leave him alone to go to the neighbours and call the paramedics. Besides, if Fraser was hot, he could think about taking off his shirt or something like that. Linda would be even more embarrassed. Just to think about it, she was also feeling hot. In a very different way, of course.

Before Linda could recompose herself, she could feel a touch on her shoulders, and Fraser right behind her. Actually, his whole body was moulding itself to hers – legs, hips, chest: everything pressed against her body, his hands on her shoulder. It was a kind of hot, gentle pressure. Linda could feel his warm body.

“Linda,” he whispered, his voice directly in Linda’s ear, in a tone she had never heard before, and that touched each fiber of her body, making it vibrate, “The curse… is making me want you… * _want_ * you… in a certain way… do you understand?

Linda had to restrain a moan, her body feeling the stimulation of the sensuous touch. She didn’t trust herself to move, so she stayed motionless, gathering strength no ask, “Mr. Fraser… Please… Don’t…”

“I can’t… control it….” He put her hair aside and started kissing the back of her neck. She shuddered because it was such a good sensation. “I’m sorry… Linda… It’s stronger than I am... I just… can’t….”

He was breathing hard and she wasn’t much different. She got her hands out of the water, washing glasses forgotten, still keeping her back to him, not knowing what to do next. Her desire was to turn around and kiss him, surrender to those lips and hands that now were tracing her arms and shoulders. But she couldn’t do as she wanted, or she’d lose Mr. Fraser’s friendship forever. Linda could feel Mr. Fraser fighting those compulsions brought up by the curse, and she knew her love was doomed. Even under some kind of magic or spell, Mr. Fraser thought that touching her was repulsive. Linda’s heart shattered.

“Please Mr., Fraser…. Don’t…. Please, stop…”

Fraser began to nibble her ear, his tongue playing carefully with her small earring. He whispered, as his hands glided towards her breasts, “I can’t, Linda… I need you… Need to _have_ you…”

Linda could feel his erection poking the back of her thigh, and realised she didn’t have much of a choice. He was much stronger than she was and he could easily subjugate her. On the other hand, if she could think, she probably didn’t know how to handle this. She had just come out from a traumatic experience, and now she was into another one, because it was a curse, and it would end soon. It didn’t come from the heart. Then why was she getting so excited?

But on that moment, rational thought was something that totally escaped her. All she felt were Fraser’s fingers under her blouse, on her breasts, hardening her nipples, sending a wave of sensations right to Linda’s centre of fire, or his tongue on her neck, kissing the delicate skin of that region, making her shudder of pleasure.

Fraser’s hands travelled along Linda’s skin until they reached the waistband of her panties. She half-returned to reason and tried to recover her voice. “Mr Fraser, please… Stop!…”

* _What am I saying?*_ she asked herself. * _I don’t_ want _him to stop! But this is wrong!*_

“Linda… I’m sorry…  It’s so strong...” He was whispering, panting. “I have – to touch you… I need you…  Linda…”

Linda knew that if Fraser touched her where she wanted him to, he’d knew by the wetness there, that she wanted him as much as the curse was making him desire her.

His fingers insinuated under her clothes from the waist down, then down further, his hands slid inside her panties to reach her womanhood with gracious, agile fingers. Linda could no longer fight and threw her head back, resting it on Fraser’s shoulder, moaning loud as she moved her pelvis in the rhythm of Fraser’s fingers inside her, her heart so fast she thought it was going burst inside her chest.

“Please…  Mr. Fraser...” The sound came out in spurts, the voice cracked. “Please don’t…” 

The sensations were too much for she to control. Linda thought that was better than anything she could ever allowed herself to imagine. She snuggled her head on Fraser’s chest and he kissed her neck, as she panted. 

It was too much for Linda.

“Please, Mr. Fraser…. Don’t stop…”

She had surrendered.

Her shoulders felt Fraser’s brief hesitation when he heard her words of surrender. Could Fraser be fighting against the compulsion and still be repelling Linda or could he be so disgusted to see her wanting him in such an ardent way? She didn’t care anymore. Although she had tried, it had been impossible to resist. She was ashamed to admit, but that was an opportunity that fate had given to her. It was an illusion, she knew it well, but at least, after it was all over, she’d had a memory.

Fraser turned Linda’s body around, to face her and took her mouth in his, invading it eagerly. He explored her mouth in an avid way, and Fraser’s strong arms pulled her closer to him, their bodies as close as they could possibly be. She surrendered to that kiss, her hands on his back, pulling him to her, too, making her conscious of his rock-hard erection, beginning to rehearse the thrusting movements, rubbing the clothed, erect member between their bodies. The realization of what happened there also made Linda thrust her tongue in Fraser’s mouth without any finesse, with the greed of a pirate before a long-waited treasure.

In a gracious movement, Fraser swirled their bodies and peeled their lips apart just enough to hoist Linda in his arms and carry her to his bed. There, he took off all her clothes, and she took off his, in desperate speed, between kisses, moans and caresses. Almost ripping off the pieces of clothing, without any zeal for their state, making them fly around the room, they undressed savagely. No wonder there was no time to admire the plasticity of the partner’s naked body. 

Fraser attacked Linda’s body like as animal in heat, his mouth, lips and tongue making intimate contact with each inch of exposed skin he could reach. Linda’s hands roamed along that whole loved male body she had dreamed so much. She could hardly breathe, her body shuddering in pleasure, her throat roaring in moans and murmurs without her realising it.

“Ben… Oh, Ben...”

The unprecedented use of a colloquial name apparently excited Fraser even more and he used his knee to spread Linda’s legs. There was no resistance when he positioned himself between them and guided his swollen penis straight to Linda’s feminine centre.

When he felt their bodies uniting, Linda arched in bed, threw her head back and the pelvis up, to increase the contact and receiving more of Fraser inside of her. She felt wonderfully stretched on the inside. And although she wanted that to last long, to savour that feeling for a long time, her desire had become urgent. So, even though Fraser also wanted to experiment new angles of penetration, Linda also displayed signs of thorough willingness to cooperate for their mutual pleasure. Together, they found a rhythm, and they moved like ballet dancers. The reality changed perspectives. Linda could feel her sweat changing to an oilier substance. In less time than she imagined, she could feel the Canadian’s body shaking, and her interior filled with Fraser’s seed, as her name was shouted as in an ownership’s declaration. Fraser _owned_ her now. From now on, he was her owner. Linda’s soul had a keeper. His limp body fell over her and she held him. He panted, his muscles relaxing, even still inside her.

Everything spun around, the words seemed to slow down, even though Linda hadn’t felt it. She still panted, but she felt his sweet heart beating right next to her, his steady breathing tickling her shoulder.

Suddenly, he tensed and got away from her arms.

That was it. It had ended.

It had been a beautiful dream, but the harsh reality had returned.

Linda curved her still ardent body in foetal position and turned backwards to Fraser. She felt empty inside. Before she had imagined that her desire for Fraser could be satisfied by what they had done. Quite the contrary: her desire not only had _not_ been quenched but also had been increased by the experience. Before she could control herself, tears fell down her eyes, her shoulder trembled and she sobbed. She felt a blanket being put over her nude body.

“I’m… terribly sorry, Linda.” Fraser’s voice was broken, filled with pain, more than she had ever heard. “I couldn’t control myself.”

Linda couldn’t answer. Too many emotions. He went on, “I didn’t want… to impose myself that way… Please, believe me…”

She just nodded, her back still to him, without knowing if he was looking at her. But she couldn’t talk, her tears falling freely.

“I’m turning myself in.” Fraser decided, sad. “I don’t know how to ask for your forgiveness. I never… Please I never wanted…”

Fraser was so disturbed that it moved Linda. She realised that he would beat himself up for what had happened so she had to help him. She gathered all courage she could muster and sat up on the bed, holding up the blanket to face him.

“It wasn’t your fault, Mr. Fraser… We knew that the curse… could be strange…”

“It’s over.” He said. “The curse is gone.”

* _And with it all my chances of being happy_ *, though Linda, tears still falling.

“I’ll turn myself… to the police. Please, Linda…”

Linda interrupted him, and it was something unprecedented, “No, please, Mr. Fraser! Don’t do it! It wasn’t your fault.”

“What I did was inexcusable.” His voice sounded full of shame. “I- I imposed myself upon you. It’s unforgivable, Linda.”

“Mr. Fraser.” She couldn’t look at him, but she couldn’t let him blame himself. “Please, Mr. Fraser, don’t think like that. Well, I could have protested… I could have… I could have…”

Fraser interrupted her, smiling. “You’re such a sweet girl. But you don’t need to justify me. You asked me to stop. Several times. I forced you. You begged me not to do what I have done. Now you’re crying, because I’ve hurt you. It’s all my fault.”

Linda felt that she needed to take an attitude. She knew that Mr. Fraser would really take the whole blame for what had happened and he could go to _jail_ , if she didn’t do anything. She had to come clean on this. She had to talk to him. Tell him everything. Prevent him from making a mistake and taking the fall for something that was her fault. In tears, Linda opened her heart.

“Mr. Fraser, please listen to me. I’m not crying for what you did to me., I’m crying because I took advantage of the situation. I betrayed your friendship. The truth is I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. I know that you could never love me this way, that’s why I’ve never told you anything, so that I wouldn’t lose your friendship, that I hold so dear. Now, when the curse made you… act like this, I tried to control my desires. I swear I did. But then, I couldn’t, or wouldn’t control myself. I’m crying now because now you think I don’t deserve your respect and that I’m a lesser girl, because I wanted this to happen. I just thought I could have a… illusion of happiness. I wasn’t going to tell you anything, but I cannot let you go on thinking you committed a crime. You know, I’m also crying because I betrayed our friendship in a moment of weakness, in exchange for a little bit of pleasure and some memories. I’m sorry, and I know that know you’ll want to throw me out of your apartment because I took advantage of you when you were vulnerable, and I understand you never want to see me again. So I’m leaving now. I… I’m s-sorry. Please try to forgive me…

Still clutching the blanket, her face covered in tears, not breathing correctly, Linda slowly began to drag her small body out of bed. She never imagined she could feel so much pain inside without being physically hit. She felt so empty inside and realized, more than ever, that having made love with Fraser has only left her wanting more. That, however, she’d never have. Worse than that: she’d have to get used to seeing Fraser watching her, fearful that she might try something. Maybe it would be for best that she never saw him again. It’d be difficult, but it might be the only solution.

Fraser was shocked by her words, but he managed to gather enough wits to hold Linda’s arms and stop her. He saw that she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

Linda felt his muscles keeping her in place and despaired. * _Oh no,*_ she thought, he heart shredded. * _Now he’s probably so mad at me and I bet he’s angry, he’ll shout at me, maybe he’ll hit me, too. I deserve it, for all I did to him. I betrayed his trust and I all deserve is punishment. *_

“I’m not going to throw you out of my apartment, Linda.” 

* _Oh, no. He’s going to punish me.*_ She risked a brief look at Fraser, embarrassed as she could be, face soaked in tears. The Mountie’s eyes sparkled as Linda had never seen, and she imagined that he was even more beautiful than never, with his hair uneven, shirtless and all flushed. He was beautiful. So beautiful, and she could never have it… Grief spread through her chest and she couldn’t face him anymore. It was getting hard to breath, with so much suffering. Oh, how would she have things to grieve about from now on. And this time she’d be on her own again. Maybe Ray also wouldn’t want to talk to her, either, when he found out what had happened. She had betrayed both of them.

What would she do without them?

“I never wanted… to hurt you, Mr. Fraser…” The tears kept on falling. “Please… Believe me…I’m so sorry…”

Fraser applies even more pressure to her arm. “Linda, don’t be sorry.”

She was so anguished she hardly heard, “What?”

“I said don’t be sorry.” “His blue-grey eyes shone with tenderness. “It’s true, I was afraid of hurting you with what happened. After what happened with Carver, I thought I had betrayed you, not protecting you, letting him kidnap you. The truth is I wanted to control myself tonight because I am very concerned of hurting you after what he did to you. Besides, I’d hate to think that you forced yourself to do something just for friendship. And you are so sweet that you might do it, Linda. I have been watching you for a long time; I have loved you from afar. I’ve never said anything because I was afraid to scare you, afraid that you might think that I wanted to take advantage of you. Maybe that’s why the curse had taken this form. Because I repressed my emotions, they surfaced in a way I couldn’t control them. But I could never imagine you’d be afraid that I found out you loved me. Because I love you, Linda. I never felt like this before. No one has _touched_ me like this before. I tried to fight the curse because I have true feelings for you, not mere lust. Do you understand it? I have deep feelings for you. But then I couldn’t fight the spell, because I also felt that it be a chance that you and I would have to be together, even if I had to apologise later… And now I find myself loving you even more because you have the courage to tell me how you felt. You don’t know how proud it makes me. I love you very much, and I’m almost thankful for that curse from Carver. It brought us together. I love you, Linda. Don’t you ever forget this.

Linda was getting dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut and cried even harder, always quiet. Fraser wrapped her gently in her arms. “Linda?”

She trembled, crying in his naked chest. Fraser felt the tears in his skin.

“Hm?”

“Did you hear what I said?” She nodded. “Please look at me.”

She shook her head in a decisive way. “No!”

Fraser felt a sharp pain in his heart. “Can’t you look at me? Am I that repulsive to you?”

She still hid her face in his chest.  “No! It’s just that...  It’s all a dream... If I open up my eyes… You’ll vanish… I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone!…”

“I promise not to vanish,” smiled Fraser. He kissed tenderly the top of her head, his heart swelling from love for that girl. “I’ll never leave you.”

His words made Linda raise her head and carefully search the intensity of the grey eyes that had such a strong sparkled that she shuddered. She risked asking, her wet face filled with apprehension, “Do you… love me?”

“Yes I do.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“And this is not a dream?”

“No, it isn’t.”

Linda started to shake harder, her emotions getting too intense. She asked, “Please hold me.”

Thinking that this was all that he wanted to do his whole life through, Fraser pulled her close to his body, feeling her heart racing.

“Linda, are you all right?”

Her voice was so quiet, a slippery noise. “I’m scared.”

“Of me?”

“Of * _me_.*” She rectified. “I think I’m happy. I’ve never thought anyone could be this happy. It is scary.”

“I want you to be this happy every day of your life. This is forever, Linda. I want you to be by my side. Forever. I want Ray to be my best man, maybe godfather and that…”

“Mr. Fraser…?”

“That’s other thing we need to work on. I don’t want you calling me like that. You called me Ben before. Can you call me Ben, just like you did a few minutes ago?”

She blushed and looked down. Then nodded, feeling embarrassed. “All right… _Ben_. Er… Well, eh… Could we wait a little before we tell Ray about this?

“Sure, but why?”

“It was very sudden. He might be… surprised.”

Fraser looked at her, but she wouldn’t face him. He knew what was this really about. “I’m going too fast, is that what you’re saying, Linda? 

“Well,” She was shaking, “It’s just that… I’m sorry, I’m…”

“Linda, you don’t need to be afraid to tell me anything.” He took her hand in his. “I love you, and I won’t stop loving you just because you want us to slow down our relationship. I can wait until you’re ready. Unless you don’t want me.”

“No!” She looked at him. “I do. It’s just... I’m afraid… I’m a bit confused, too.”

“It’s all right, Linda.” He kissed the top of her head. “Everything is fine.”

“I have to go now. I’m tired.”

“You can sleep here.”

“No!” She was horrified. “It wouldn’t be right. I mean… People would think that you and me… I mean… You know… that we are...”

Fraser smiled.  “Well, Linda the truth is that we * _are_.* But we don’t have to, if you don’t want.”

“All right.”

She was getting really tired. Her eyes were almost closing. Fraser held her gently. “You can relax, Linda.”

“It’s hard to believe that this is not a dream. I’m so tired.”

“Then sleep as long as you want.”

“I can’t. I have to go home.”

“No.” Fraser arranged the covers around her naked body. “You won’t leave this place, Linda. I’ll take care of you.”

“But what are we going to tell Ray?”

“We’ll tell him that I had an emotional reaction to Carver’s curse. So did you. That is not a lie.”

“He’ll want to know more than that.”

“I’ll tell him an Inuit story.”

“Right.  Then he’ll ask * _me_.*”

“Why are you so worried about Ray?”

“Because he’s my friend. Like a brother, if I had ever had one. I love him very much.”

“I also like him a lot, but I don’t want him to jeopardize our relationship. I have just found you, Linda, and I’m not going to let anyone, even Ray, threaten what we have.” She raised her head and stared at his bluish eyes, feeling herself lost in two pools of deep love that stared back at her. “I love you, Linda. I intend to keep on loving you. Will you let me do it?”

She felt herself as if on fire, her eyes filling with tears, the throat closing and her skin tingling when she tried to say, “I… I love you, too… Ben…”

His lips descended on hers, and she felt again his hot and humid mouth exploring hers, their tongues dancing in that frantic rhythm that made Linda’s body shudder. Panting, Fraser parted the kiss, embarrassed.

“I’d better let you rest… Otherwise I won’t be able to control myself again.”

He moved in the small cot, indicating he would break the contact between the naked bodies, and Linda took hold of him, “Please…! Don’t go.”

“I’m just going to get another blanket. You’re shivering. I’ll be right back.”

Linda knew that her tremor had nothing to do with the temperature inside the apartment, but she kept quiet. She observed as Fraser went inside the closet and came out of there with a colourful blanket, which he promptly used to cover Linda’s body. Then he got under the covers himself and held their two bodies together, snuggled comfortably, making Linda feel protected and comforted as she had never had felt before.

The midnight had passed and a new day was dawning.

The first day of the rest of their lives.


	10. Chapter 10

# The very odd couple

## Chapter 10

Linda Lyme kept her eyes closed and her body still as she heard Benton Fraser’s peaceful and regular breathing, indicating he was in deep sleep. Her mind was quite agitated; with all the excitement she had gone through. She still couldn’t believe that Benton Fraser, Constable to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was in love with her and wanted her as his lover. Now they were sharing a tiny bed in his Spartan apartment, naked, after a very unusual sexual activity. She thought about all the things that led to that moment.

She had loved Fraser for some time, bus she could never tell him that. Being a former intern of a mental institution, Linda had firmly convinced herself that his friendship was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and nothing could jeopardize it. Risking it was unconceivable, so telling him how she felt about him was out of the question. She had behaved like that ever since they met, in a dreadful occasion.

It had been when Ray was shot. Linda worked nightshifts in a hospital. Ray was at the Intensive Care Unit, barely alive. She arranged that Fraser could see him, when only family was allowed, and she also took care of Ray. Her dedication to Ray Vecchio had granted Linda the basis for a solid friendship not only with Benny and Ray but also with the unanimity of the Vecchio clan.

It had been a matter of time until that friendship blossomed into love. Maybe love had always been there, and Linda had resisted to it. But loved slapped her in the face when one of Ray’s old enemies, a man named Carver, kidnapped and raped Linda. Benton Fraser tracked the man and was also captured. But Ray and the cops arrived there in time.

Carver, however, didn’t let them have peace not even in jail. He had placed a post-hypnotic suggestion in Benton’s mind, which had appeared in the form of Benton’s sexual desire for Linda. So, both of them had surrendered to a tense sexual activity, but ended confessing their love for each other.

To Linda, it was very hard to believe that man was in love with her. He was so cute – the living dream of half Chicago’s female population, and maybe some of the male’s, too. She had never thought she could attract anyone, lest someone like him. And her emotional background would many any candidates run for cover.

After living with an abusive father as a baby, Linda closed herself from the world, and spent more than 10 years in an asylum – she was considered insane. When it became clear she had no brain damage, only psychological problems, she began to receive adequate treatment. Slowly, she began to reinsert herself in society, but it was a long way to go. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Lennyard, had her working as volunteer inside the mental institution where she lived, and the results were excellent.

Then Linda has taken a job Dr. Lennyard’s hospital downtown, and finally she had her own apartment, under his supervision, since she was still under his legal guardianship, or the State’s. Recently, Linda confessed to the doctor that she harbored plans of entering a nursing school to help sick people. She had plans for her future. She didn’t envision her coming years back in the asylum.

Much of Linda’s progress had a lot to do with Vecchio’s and Fraser’s friendship. After they met her, they became excellent friends. Now it seemed that the friendship was growing even more.

Lying in Fraser’s arms, listening to his peaceful breathing, Linda asked herself how could she give this man the love she felt for him. She had no talents in that area. She had no practice either. Institutions for the mentally ill were not the best place to get boyfriends. She was an odd person. Strange. Weird. How could she bring Fraser that sort of suffering yet loving him so much?

She moved in his arms, still unable to think. Fraser immediately stiffed, as he had done before, when she had woken up, crying and screaming. She had had a nightmare about Carver. After Ben calmed her down, she had tried to sleep. But then she started thinking about her and Ben. Ben and her… Her and Ben…

* _So many things to think about…*_

When she opened her eyes, she had to take a deep breath or she’d be out of oxygen altogether. Ben was so beautiful asleep, with the blanket by the waist. His magnificent features were relaxed, the dark hair disheveled, the pale skin lightly illuminated by the lamp post kissing the dark bedroom. His hairless chest went up and down in the soft, seductive rhythm of his breathing. Linda observed him for a long time, hypnotized by his beauty, by the classic features of the Greek god beside her.

Linda examined the straight lines of the mouth, the smooth lines that formed the delicate nose, as well as the dark hair of the eyebrow. His hands were on his chest, and she looked at his fingers: long, strong, square and male; the short nails also square. Actually, even his hands were square and pale. His forearms were covered by light, small hair, and everything about him looked so beautiful and gracious that Linda wanted to cry. She felt ugly, clumsy and ridiculous before that monument to grace and harmony called Benton Fraser. The one thing that she could not appreciate in that moment were the eyes, indescribably perfect in their intensity and profundity, their colors hypnotizing.

In the precise moment that Linda thought about the perfect eyes, they opened. She almost jumped.

Fraser raised his head inquiringly. “Are you all right?”

Linda raised the blanket to her chest. “Yes.”

“Can’t you get to sleep?”

“It’s too early for me.” She smiled apologetically. “I usually sleep in the afternoons because I work the nightshift.”

“You need to rest. It’ll do you good after all you’ve been through.”

Linda just looked down, quiet, unable to face him. There was something. Something she was uncomfortable with, but she wouldn’t say. Fraser knew her so well already that he noticed her discomfort and guessed what the problem was. He knew she’d never say a word about it, so he’d be the one to take an attitude. He put the short and said, “I’d better sleep on the floor.”

“No, please.” Linda was shocked. “I can’t get you out of your own bed in your own home.”

“I’ll be as comfortable as in the bed, Linda.” He said, unrolling the sleeping bag in the floor as she put on her blouse. “It’s true. I’ve slept many times like that in my life, and generally in worse conditions. I’ll be fine.”

Linda was curious, watching as he prepared his bed. “In your home? You mean, in Canada?”

“Yes. Actually, in the Territories.” Ben put a blanket over the sleeping bag and sat on it, looking at her. “That is way up north. That’s where I used to work. Outdoors.”

“You didn’t have a house? Or a bed?”

“No, I used one of the Outposts, but most of the times Diefenbaker and I were in the woods. I had a very large area to patrol. Sometimes I used a horse, other times I had to walk, cross rivers, or other things. Diefenbaker helped to pull a sledge, did you know that?

“No. Did it hurt?”

Fraser laughed at the girl’s innocence. “He can take it. He is an Artic wolf, after all. He can take snowstorms and blizzards.”

“Chicago has pretty serious snowfalls.” Linda smiled. “Maybe he’ll feel at home in the winter.”

Fraser smiled and Linda smiled back at him. She asked him many times about his homeland. She loved to hear him talking, his stories and even his Inuit stories and fables that seemed to bore Ray so much. He talked to her for a long time until she eventually grew tired and fell asleep. Then Fraser reassured she wouldn’t feel cold and put an extra blanket over her.

When Ray showed up next morning to take him to the Consulate, Fraser quickly took him out of the apartment, to the hallway, so the noise wouldn’t wake up Linda.

“Shh. Not so loud, Ray.”

“What’s up, Benny?” Then the detective realized his friend was not in uniform. “Aren’t you going to work today?”

“No, I got leave after the Carver case.”

“By the way, how did that curse thing went? I’m curious to know.”

“It was… emotional. Linda also got emotional, that’s why I asked her to sleep here. It wouldn’t be wise to let her go home alone.”

“Here? And she agreed?”

“Yes. But you keep on talking loud, she’ll wake up.”

Ray put his head inside the apartment and saw a figure lying on Fraser’s bed. The RCMP sleeping bed was on the floor, right by the bed. Ray talked lower, “How is she?”

Fraser shrugged. “She had nightmares. She seems OK, but I know she’s quite frightened.”

“Poor thing. She’s such a nice girl, Benny.”

“Yes, she is.”

“Why don’t you spend some of your time off with her, Benny? She might like that. I wish I could, but the lieutenant’s is on my back. I have a big case coming. Try to keep her company, Benny. And treat her nicely, OK? Don’t drag her into confusion, as you keep doing with me.”

Fraser said. “I’ll see what she says. Thank you, Ray.”

“No problem, Benny.”

A feminine voice came from the apartment’s door, greeting, “Good morning, Ray. Want some coffee?”

The two police officers came inside the apartment and Ray greeted Linda, that was on Fraser’s kitchen, drinking cold milk.

“Hi, Linda. Thanks, but I have to go. Sorry if I woke you up.”

“OK, Ray. I think I’ll make Mr. Fraser his breakfast, then I must go, too.”

“All right, then. Catch you guys later.”

Linda observed Ray leave and Ben closed the door, before his nosy neighbors decided to take a look on what was happening at the apartment. She was feeling strange, and moved around the small kitchen, intent on preparing breakfast, embarrassed.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to eat porridge. There’s nothing else, here.”

“You don’t have to do this, Linda.”

She didn’t look at him. “I want to do this, Mr. Fraser.”

“I was hoping you’d keep calling me Ben, as you did last night.” His face was so serious. “Linda, I meant what I said. I really love you.”

Linda stopped moving around in the kitchen and kept her head down, avoiding his eyes. She was shaking, but she couldn’t face him. Her voice was also shaking when she said, her back still to him. “I also love you. But I don’t know how.”

“I can teach you.” His voice was pleading, and he felt his heart tightening with desire to touch her, but he feared she could startle. “Please let me teach you, Linda.”

She almost sobbed, but controlled herself in time. Then she could barely say, in a strained voice, “Please… Give me… time…”

Very gently, Ben came close to her from behind and put his hands soothingly on her shoulders. The tender touch made her melt inside. He reassured her, “I can wait, Linda. I can wait for you.”

Linda felt the world turning around once more and with an effort, she focused in preparing a meal. Then she went back to her apartment. She had a lot to think about, but first she wanted to take a shower and change her clothes. Besides, Linda could always think better during a shower. It was as if the water on her skin helped her clear her thoughts.

Her landlady greeted her as soon as she came inside the building.

“Linda, I almost called that detective friend of yours to warn you. I won’t be here this whole week.”

“Why? Something’s wrong?”

“My sister who lives in Delaware is sick and she needs my help to look after her children. I didn’t know when you’d be back home, after what happened.”

“Do you want me to water your plants or walk your dog?”

“Linda, you know I don’t have a dog. No, thank you, but you don’t have to do anything. I was just worried and I didn’t want to leave without talking to you. I heard what happened to you, and I’m glad everything is all right now. How do you feel?”

“I’m fine, thank you. I appreciate your concern.”

“Do you need anything? I can call my sister and tell her I’ll be a few days late, if you want.”

“No, please.” Linda was scandalized. “It’s very kind of you, but your family needs you. Go and don’t worry. I’m all right.

“It’s all set, then. You take care of yourself, girl.”

“I hope your sister gets better. Drive carefully.”

Linda got home and sighed heavily. It was good to be home. But she had a lot of things to think about.

Linda thought while she showered. She thought even more while she dried her hair. She kept on thinking as she got dressed and left her apartment.

At the bus going downtown, she though even more. She bought a bag of doughnuts and a cappuccino on the way, and she was still thinking when she went inside the 27th Precinct. Then all her thoughts flew away when she started to smile at all the people she knew at the police station.

“Hello, gorgeous,” greeted Ray Vecchio. “What brings you here?”

“I was feeling bad because I couldn’t feed you properly this morning, Ray, so I wanted to redeem myself.” She raised the bag with the treats. “Donuts and cappuccino, and eat before Diefenbaker smells it all the way from the Canadian Consulate. Our heroic police officer that was awake all night deserves a special treatment.”

Ray took her by the shoulder and kissed her noisily in the forehead.

“Ah, * _ragazza*_ , you are the best!”

Linda went pink on the face. “Ray, stop it. Here, have a donut.”

She sat at his desk and started to serve him. The Italian watched her then said. “I thought you were going to spend the day with Benny.”

At the mention of the Canadian, Linda tried not to spill the coffee. “I couldn’t. Lots to do.”

“But you’re on leave.”

“I meant at home.” She was stammering a bit.

“Besides feeding me, what else would you have to do?”

She didn’t look at him, and blushed a little. “Other things, Ray, that’s all. Don’t be so nosy.”

Suddenly, Ray turned very serious and put two fingers on Linda’s chin, raising her head so their eyes could meet. Two pairs of green eyes met, and his voice was solemn to say, “You know you can tell me anything, don’t you, Linda? If there’s a problem, you can tell me.”

She felt the tears threatening to come to her eyes, but she was able to keep her voice steady enough to answer, “Of course I do, Ray.”

“If something was wrong, anything at all, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”

“You’re like a brother to me, Ray. You know this is true. But…”

“But…?”

Linda lowered her head, embarrassed, blushed and uncomfortable. “But there are things that sisters don’t talk to brothers. You know.”

“Or course not. Brothers and sisters talk about everything, Linda.”

“Even… girl stuff?”

The expression at the Italian’s face changed. “Oh. _That_. Yes, I think you’re right. Brothers and sisters don’t talk about it.”

Linda nodded, even more embarrassed, her face getting cherry, a color she hardly obtained. Trying to disperse the awkward moment, Ray suggested, “|Maybe you can talk to Frannie later.”

“No… You don’t talk about that with another sister.” * _At least not when both are interested in the same man*_ , thought Linda.

“What about Ma?”

She shook her head. “Too old.”

“Maybe somebody here in the district.” He looked around. “There’s Elaine. There’s also Amy from Dispatch…”

“Ray,” Linda interrupted him gently. “Everything is fine. I thought about talking with someone from work.”

He looked incredibly relived. “Oh, one of your nurse friends, then? Yes, that’s right. You can do that.”

“I’ll do that. But now,” she stood up, “I better let you have your cappuccino in peace. I’ll see you.”

She turned around and Ray asked, grabbing another donut, “Are we up for dinner tonight?”

“No, thanks. I’m going to bed early. Bye!”

Linda left the district with a new light in her eyes. She still had a lot to think about, but at least now she knew what to do. It was a lot, but she needn’t do all by herself.


	11. Chapter 11

## Chapter 11

Chief Nurse Sorelli blinked at Linda.

“ _What?!_ ”

Linda looked at her feet, considerably more embarrassed than what she normally felt. “I’m sorry, but I don’t trust anyone else to talk about it.”

“Is that why you came to the hospital even while you are on medical leave?”

Linda nodded once more. “I believe it’s very important. But if you don’t want to do it, it’s fine. I appreciate it anyway.

No, it was not fine, and Linda knew it. Mrs. Sorelli was the perfect choice and Linda’s last hope. If she didn’t want to do it, Linda had no one else to run to. She didn’t anticipate that Mrs. Sorelli, always so gentle and interested in helping Linda, could not want to do it. If her boss didn’t want to help her, then she’d have to find out for herself. And things could go wrong.

The Italian woman looked at the girl with compassion. It was so hard. She had never felt comfortable talking about it, even when she was an adolescent. It must have something to do with her Catholic upbringing, being Italian and all. On the other hand, Linda had always been so helpful to her. She wanted to help the girl, because Linda seemed to need all the help she could get. Besides, the Sorellis seldom said no to people in need.

“I just can’t do it right now, Linda. Can you wait a while? I’ll be off in a few. We could have lunch together and spend the afternoon.”

That cheered up Linda. They had lunch and then they realized that a talk about sex should not be held in public, so they went to Linda’s apartment, where they talked and talked. They laughed a lot, too.

Linda made snacks, and Mrs. Sorelli said she was a good cook, for someone who wasn’t even Italian.

“I could be.”

“How’s that?”

“My name was changed at the orphanage, after I was taken away from my father. My papers were lost, and they gave me a new name. I sound like a fruit: Lyme. It’s kinda funny.”

Mrs. Sorelli smiled and felt her heart breaking for something like that happening to such a lovely girl. Only by the end of the day Linda was able to really relax. She was being extra careful because she didn’t want anyone to know (not even Mrs. Sorelli) that her mysterious man, the one whom she was doing all this, was Benton Fraser. But she said everything else from the bottom of her heart.

“I appreciate it immensely, Mrs. Sorelli. You know, this is pretty hard for me.”

“I know, Linda, that’s why I want to help. I don’t get comfortable myself talking about these things.”

“But I am desperate. I love this man, I really do. But I don’t know what to do. I guess that if he wants me to, I can make love to him, but I’ve never done this before. And it’s not like I’m a virgin. But I’ve been abused since I was a little girl. Everybody abused me: my father, orderlies, even doctors. I’ve always been raped. That’s why I don’t know how to make love, do you understand?

Mrs. Sorelli was shocked to hear Linda talk so naturally about such terrible experiences. Linda rushed to reassure her, “I know now that these things are shocking. But now I can talk about it. I know what happened to me and I know it doesn’t happen to most people. I have never made love. I was always raped. That’s why I don’t know what to do with this… boyfriend. I never thought that someday a boy could love me, that’s why I never thought about learning what to do.”

“Linda, I can’t teach you about it. You have to use your senses, your sensibility. You know what goes where, right?”

“Yes, that I do.”

“Great, you can take it from there. Makes things much easier. As time goes by and the two of you get to know each other better, you’ll learn how to pleasure yourself.”

“I don’t understand it.” Linda was puzzled. “You talk as if he could give me pleasure.”

The Italian woman looked at her, Linda’s words raising her curiosity. Then she realized that Linda didn’t envision the possibility of feeling pleasure. Carefully, Mrs. Sorelly approached her as if she was a four-year old child, “Linda, making love is an act in which both participants feel pleasure. They enjoy each other and they share each other because they love each other. You give pleasure to your boyfriend, and he gives it to you. Do you know what an orgasm is?”

The girl went pink again. “That’s when… a white liquid… jumps from a man’s penis.”

“That’s a man’s orgasm. A woman can also have one, but it’s different, of course.”

Linda didn’t even blink, and her chin fell. It was such astonishing information that she even forgot to breath for a minute. Mrs. Sorelli took a deep breath, then asked for pen and paper. She drew the female organs, explained what was a clitoris and said that it was an extremely sensitive point.

“Some men don’t know, but that button on the woman’s body has the same number of nerves of many parts of the body together. That’s why it is so sensitive. Only women have it.”

Linda had her eyes wide. “And because of it we can be… satisfied?”

“Of course, dear. It is widely believed that part of a man’s pleasure is satisfying his woman.”

“What should I do to satisfy him?”

“It depends on which are his most sensitive spots. It’s something you learn as things evolve, so to speak. You must try to touch him in different places, different ways. This is very, very delicate. Some men like to be nibbled, other like to be licked, and others like to be kissed. It varies much.

“May I ask what you do?”

Mrs. Sorelli smiled, feeling her cheeks getting warm. “My husband and I like to touch each other. We also use our mouthes. We find it very pleasant.”

Linda looked intrigued and cocked her head. “You use your mouth… _everywhere_?”

Mrs. Sorelli couldn’t help getting even redder. “Linda, making love is a giving experience. We can’t establish limits or build frontiers, unless one of the partners feels uncomfortable for some reason. That’s why talking sincerely about it is so important.”

Embarrassed, but curious, Linda knew she’d have to ask straight. But she lowered her voice and looked everywhere else, except at Mrs. Sorelli. “Do you put your mouth willingly in the… you know, in the penis?”

The Italian woman answered, trying to calm her down. “Yes, and men like it, when it’s done with love and tenderness. It has to be done with great care. It’s a very delicate area, with a sensitive, tender skin. If you do this, your boyfriend will love it. I guarantee that.”

Linda was pink with embarrassment. “Could you please teach me? I don’t want to hurt him…”

Mrs. Sorelli sighed, but she couldn’t deny Linda the information. The girl looked genuinely interested, and was truly fighting her inhibitions to make the questions she needed. The chief nurse wondered that the man she loved was a man of amazing luck and would get first quality sex, because Linda surely was a very attentive student.

The class continued, and both women consumed a meal prepared by Linda. It was past nine at night when Mrs. Sorelli announced she couldn’t stay any longer. Linda was ashamed.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Sorreli. I didn’t realize I was hogging up so much of your time. Please apologize to Mr. Sorelli for me. I was so distracted and I …

“No, Linda, it wasn’t your fault. I was also carried away by our interesting conversation,” she laughed. “But now I have to go.”

“Let me take you to the El station, at least.”

“There’s no need.”

“But I was going out anyway. It’s no bother. I just need to get a coat.”

*** * ***

Something was not letting Fraser fall asleep, even after he had laid in his bed at his dingy apartment. Maybe it was the restlessness that had plagued him all day long had manifested itself also at night. He imagined that a bit of sleep could cure it. He was wrong.

Constable Fraser’s biggest problem was that he had lied. After telling Linda that he would wait for her love, he had realized that it was a bigger task than he had initially imagined. Love was not a feeling new to him, and yet it _was_ new. He had never felt so much tenderness and affection for a woman before. He also felt a great desire to love her completely, with passion, intensity, lust. But he had given his word that he wouldn’t force her into anything she wasn’t ready for.

Linda was very special to him. She was so fragile that he feared she could break. And it could be quite true, figuratively. But she excited him so much with her smile, her little squeals of delight when Dief licked her face or the way she blushed when Ray teased her. He realized he was really in love with her.

There, on that dark room, Fraser missed her. Dief stared at him, a mute lupine chastising that Fraser knew from the Canadian Northwest Territories. Even if the wolf could speak, he wouldn’t. He was skulking. He though his human partner was treating his mate in a bad manner.

There was a knock on the door. Fraser knew it was past ten at night and wondered who could it be at that time of night. He put on a robe and opened the door.

Linda was at his door and seemed to be panting a bit. She didn’t look up at him. Fraser’s heart raced, filled with apprehension.

“Linda, is everything all right?”

“Yes, it is.” She looked quite flushed. “I just needed to talk to you. I won’t be long.”

“Come in, please.” She obeyed. “Sit, please. You look a bit distraught.”

Linda sat down feeling even more anxious by the minute. She knew she had important things to say, and she didn’t want to forget any of them. Without taking her eyes off her feet, she let a couple of tears fall and Diefenbaker came near her, seeking her caresses.

As she petted the wolf, she found the courage to say, “I wanted to tell you that if you want to forget everything we talked the other night it’s all right. It’s just… It’s… If you have changed your mind about loving me, it’s all right. I just wish we could be friends. But if’ you’d rather not see me ever again, I’ll understand it. I really will. I promise I’ll never speak bad about you, never talk about any of this to anyone, anyone at all.”

Fraser felt his heart tightening, “Why would I do that, Linda?”

Linda could barely keep her voice in a hearing range, because her chest hurt so much, so she raised from the chair, tears now falling from her face without her being able to stop them.

“I can understand that you don’t want people to laugh at you, or people to say that you are dating a lunatic. They may make jokes at you because of me. I can understand it. You have a position and you cannot expose yourself because of me.”

Horrified, Fraser tried to get near her, but she stepped back and he stopped, but kept on talking, always in a soft voice. “Linda, I’ll never do this. I really meant it when I said I loved you. I’ll never hurt you, and I’ll never let people laugh at you or mock you or call you names. I promise you this.”

He could tell by the look in her reddish eyes how much that had happened in her short life.

His words gave Linda a bit of confidence. The first scenario she envisioned (the worst) had not come to pass, because she had feared he might have actually changed his mind. But he didn’t, and she was happy. She had known, deep inside, that he was a perfect gentleman.

Still, she had other things to tell Fraser. Diefenbaker had gone to the corner of the room and she had wiped her face with her hands to dry her tears.

“You know I am not… experienced,” she recalled, without looked at him, embarrassed.

“Neither am I,” reminded Fraser. “I was raised in an environment where emotions were not a priority. I have to say Ray has been helping me a lot about it. But I know we can solve this together, Linda. I said I was not willing to let you go, Linda, and it is true.”

Linda was very afraid to look at him. Her face was probably as red as a beet, but no one could see it in the dark apartment. She asked, her breath still short, “Will you… be patient with me?”

“Only if you are patient with me, too. Just like you, I don’t have much experience either, Linda.”

Linda risked looking at him and almost melted at the vision of the grey-blue eyes expectantly staring at her, filled with love. Solemnly, as if vowing before a high authority, she said, “I promise I will never lie to you, or bring you pain of any kind, if I can. I also want to give you pleasure, but this I can’t do yet. I promise you I’ll do that when I’m ready.”

Fraser finally could get near her without frightening her, “I could have said the same thing. I will wait for you, Linda. I know this is not easy for you. That’s why I’m so proud of you.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to lie to you. But I need time… to think. This is all so new to me. There are so many things I don’t know yet.”

“I know, and there are a lot of things I don’t know either. We can discover everything together, Linda. I don’t want you to feel under pressure. Maybe that was not the best time, but I’m almost glad that the curse gave us a chance to reveal what we really felt for each other. I know that now you are feeling a bit vulnerable after everything that happened to Carver. I wanted to help you.”

Linda winced a bit. “I have been dreaming… about Mr. Carver... bad dreams… It’s like I used to hear in the institution… They said that nightmares have bad habits, and one of their worst habits is to come back quite often…” She couldn’t hold back her tears… “I’m so sorry.”

Linda took her head in her hands and cried deeply. Fraser decided to invade her personal space and gathered her in his arms. He took her to sit on the bed, where she buried her head in his chest and wept, dampening his robe. When her sobbing was sparser, he brought her a glass of water and asked, “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.” She raised from the bed. “I even feel tired.”

“Emotional catharsis. Perfectly natural. You may even fell as if you’re running a fever.”

“Yes, it does. I’d better go home now.”

“Are you sure? You can sleep here.”

“No, I... should go.”

“All right, then. Let me take you home.”

“No, please, don’t bother. I can go by myself.”

“Linda, please. If you’re going to leave, I need to take you home. I’ll feel better this way.”

“If you insist…”

They walked by the damp streets of the Chicago moonless night and Fraser brought her home in safety. Due to Linda’s emotional stress, Fraser politely refused the invitation to come upstairs for coffee, and followed with his eyes as the girl went safely inside the building. Sighing, he zipped up the brown leather jacket and returned home. Linda, on the other hand, hardly made it to her bed, tired as tired could be.

Linda woke up in the next morning feeling really bad. Actually, she felt awful, after a horrible night. She had nightmares, and tossed on and on, feeling hot and feverish – just like Mr. Fraser had said. * _He really knew things_ *, she thought. Getting up in the morning was a sacrifice, but she had to do it. She probably was running a real fever, and she might be going down with something. Maybe Mr. Fraser could help her.

Despite her terrible condition, Linda went out. But she wouldn’t be able to handle the stairs of the El station. So she chose to walk 10 blocks to get to Fraser’s apartment. No wonder that she got to the Canadian’s home feeling even worse, wheezing, her legs heavy and sore.

To no avail. The apartment was empty. No one was at home, not even Dief. Linda sighed and coughed painfully. She realized she was in bad shape and needed medical help. Where could she go to? There were no hospitals nearby. Next stop: Vecchio residence.

Things were getting out of perspective when she got (also by foot) at the Vecchio home at North Octavia. Linda’s senses were totally confused. She was out of it when her hesitant legs made it up the stairs to the front door. She knocked at the door and barely looked at Francesca, who answered the door and made a question Linda couldn’t hear past the rush of blood in her ears.

“Help…me…”

She fell in Francesca arms, babbling incoherent things about Fraser, calling Ray, begging for forgiveness.

“Ma! Maria! It’s Linda!” Francesca tried to raise the almost unconscious girl in her arms. “She’s delirious!”

In no time, there was a full-scale Italian commotion in march, and Linda tried to resist, unwilling to bring trouble to a family that was so nice to her. But she was too weak to protest, so she was taken to the nearest couch and buried under at least three blankets, thick as lasagna layers.

Ma Vecchio was very concerned. “* _Madonna!_ * She is burning up!”

“Maybe we should call an ambulance.”

“Don’t worry, * _bambina_ *”, Ma Vecchio told Linda. “Everything will be OK.”

Linda thought things couldn’t get more confused than that. But they got.

She didn’t see the door opening, but she heard Frannie’s unbelievable cry when some very strange people broke in the house. They were dressed in some sort of blue spacesuit, with helmets, microphones and all kinds of gadgets that made the whole thing even more confused to the feverish girl.

All Vecchios were thrown out of their own home, and those people examined Linda. They took her temperature, looked inside her eyes, with gloves, lights. They shouted a lot with each other, and Linda began to get pretty scared. Actually, Linda was horrified, petrified with fear, without understanding an iota of what was going on and too confused to imagine some explanation. She could barely keep her conscience was she was put in a gurney, with an IV to her arm and was taken to an ambulance unlike any other she had seen before. She also tried to yell for help, but she was too weak, and her body was tingling. The Vecchios were taken in other cars, and they complained a lot.

Linda was crying as she rode in the ambulance, scared to no end, because the people in astronaut suits didn’t talk to her. The ambulance arrived to a place that should be a hospital, but it wasn’t quite one. She tried to resist those bizarre people, and they gave her a shot before taking her to a sort of strange operating room. There was a very bright light above her head, one that blinded her, and there were many of those persons in space suits looking at her, and more people behind glass windows, and she felt she was losing her senses. Fast.

_*God I can be dying*_


	12. Chapter 12

## Chapter 12

For the tenth time (and not that he was counting), Fraser sighed and tried to make Linda drink the antidote he was holding. His hopes were great, because it looked like her fever was finally breaking. At least her skin seemed cooler and less pale. But she wouldn’t regain conscience.

The last hours had been frantic. It hadn’t even dawned and the Health Department technicians in max decontamination control suits had raided Fraser’s apartment. The Canadian had passed through decontamination and exams and then taken to isolation. There he knew that the police had found a toxin in Carver’s apartment. They still didn’t know if Carver had used the substance, bust since it was quite lethal, there weren’t taking any chances. Anyone who had been in touch with Carver for the last 48 hours had been taken in and tested – cops, hostages, contacts. Then they had tested anyone who had been in touch with those who had been in touch with Carver – families, co-workers, neighbors. More than 500 people had checked in the CDC facility lab in Chicago, near the O’Hare Airport. The press was having a field day.

In the end, only Linda had reacted to the toxin. Even though the substance was lethal, the treatment was simple: an antidote should be ministered at the first 24 hours of the symptoms so the worst could be avoided. After that, it was probably as bad as a common cold. However, being one of those new substances used by terrorists, the health technicians had shown their fear to minister the antidote in Linda and get infected with the toxin. Fraser had been voluntary to stay with Linda in the same isolation booth, both being monitored by the health technicians.

Fraser had gotten so frightened with the perspective to lose Linda that he didn’t measure personal risk. His head was focused in her possible death. Both were put in a glass bubble, the name given to the transparent booth monitored 24 hours a day. They expected that time was sufficient for her to react to the antidote. Otherwise, she might be lost. Fraser could be next.

Although dismissed by the medical team, the Vecchio clan decided to stay at the premises. Ray tried to dissuade the family to go back home, but faced his mother’s and his baby sister Francesca’s fierce resistance. Only Maria agreed to get back home because of the youngest and the kids.

Ray was the most frantic. He talked to the reporters, got in touch with the precinct guys about the news and tried to calm down his family, that didn’t budge from the isolation center. The intense activity helped him disperse the accumulated tension. Ray didn’t want to think that he might be losing two of his best friends. He also felt guilty for everything that was going on with his friends. After all, Carver was trying to take his revenge on the Chicago cop who arrested him.

Ray dedicated most of his time trying to catch on how things were doing on the isolation cell #1. He could see closed circuit images of Fraser, sitting down on Linda’s bed, holding her in his arms. Ray’s heart was tightening. No reaction yet. He wished Linda would wake up soon. There was a room that had full view to the isolation cell, and every time Ray went there, he tried to put a good face. No use to let Fraser see how worried he really was. He smiled at the Mountie and gave him thumbs up.

The Canadian nodded and could almost feel all tension eating Ray up. So he smiled back at Ray, trying to reassure him everything was going as best as it could go. But only one thing could get Fraser relaxed, and that would be a reaction from Linda. If she recognized him, or if at least she woke up…

The doctors had told him that her sleep was natural and because of that, it was also very restorative. The antidote also made her very sleepy. Her rising temperature, though, was not a good sign.

Linda had to take plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. The fever had broken, but there were bouts every now and then. Her delirious babbling became constant, and it always sounded related to Carver’s aggression. It seemed to have a profound effect on her. Fraser hurt to see her in such pain and once he took her in his arms, desperate with her pain. The touch seemed to calm her down, and the people monitoring them two encouraged him to do that frequently. Fraser loved the idea of having authorization to be with Linda in his arms. Still, his chest would sting every time Linda would move from side to side, in anguish, whimpering, sweating.

“No…! Please…! Don’t hurt him...!” Linda thrashed in bed, covers flowing around. “Please, don’t hurt Mr. Fraser! Hurt me, hurt me, please, don’t hurt him!”

Fraser came close to her, sat on the head of the bed, and hugged her from behind, making her head rest in his chest and her back in his stomach. He whispered sweet words of comfort in her ears, but she was sobbing in fear. He sang to her, very softly. Then, when exhaustion made her totally unconscious, he laid her gently in bed and tucked her lovingly.

He sat by her bed, picked up a book, his ears ignoring the chirping and whirring of the medical machines that monitored them. She moaned, and began to get restless again. Fraser put her in his arms, propping her from behind, and wiped the sweat from her face.

“Sh… It’s OK, Linda. Everything will be OK.”

A weak voice articulated, “Mr. Fraser…?”

He looked down at green eyes who were trying to focus on his face and risked, “Linda?”

“What… happened?”

“You were sick with a toxin. You had high fever. Became delirious for some time. How do you feel?”

“Throat is dry… I’m tired.”

“Here.” He reached for a glass with some more of the antidote. Linda took a few sips, then sighed, tired. “Now, why don’t you rest a little bit now?”

When he moved, he felt her hand trying to hold his arm. “Please… Don’t leave me…”

“I’m not going anywhere. You can sleep now.”

Linda curled up in Fraser’s lap, as a small kitten, and the Mountie allowed himself a sigh of relief and a small smile. From the other side of the glass, outside his field of vision, Ray Vecchio was doing the same thing.

After a lot of restlessness and some noisy intimidation from the Vecchio family, in less than 48 hours Linda was deemed safe and sound, then released from the Isolation Unit of the premises of the Quarantine Station of the CDC in Chicago without any sign of the illness that almost killed her. She was taken directly to a celebration of the Italian kind. Ma Vecchio was especially touched, and there was lasagna for virtually the entire 27th Precinct. Even people that were not that close to Linda were there, celebrating her recovering. However, Linda was not totally happy.

“But it is not fair, Ray.” Linda was sitting at the Vecchio’s porch, Fraser by her side. “I caused the problem to your family. I was the one who should be throwing a party. I am giving your mother so much trouble!”

He shrugged. “You know how Ma is when she puts something in her head, Linda.”

“Just like her son?”

Ray shot a dirty look at Linda, then smiled, and Fraser corrected. “Actually, Linda, chronologically, I’d have to say that the son is just like the mother, because she came first.”

“Yes, Mr. Fraser. You’re right, as always.” Then they smirked at Ray.

Vecchio was beyond pissed, “Laugh it up, you two!”

“Sorry about the joke, Ray. But I really feel like doing something to celebrate. Maybe doing something new.” Her eyes acquired a new sparkle, surprising even herself. “Yes, I really want to do this. Tomorrow night, by my house.”

Ray smiled. “Sounds great. Count me in.”

“Good.” She turned to Fraser. “Please, don’t forget to bring Diefenbaker, too. His opinion is very important to me.”

“I’m sure he’ll be delighted with the invitation. Thank you kindly.”

Linda said, “I must go home to prepare everything.”

“Not before you have dinner with us,” said Ray. “Ma will be crushed if you don’t eat.”

“I’d never do anything like that, Ray.” Linda sounded hurt that Ray could think of something as such. “You know that. Besides, you also know that I love your mother’s food.”

“Yes, I know that.” He hugged her tenderly, and Fraser looked to the side, embarrassed. “The more important is that you are here, safe and sound. That toxin story kind of frightened me.”

Fraser completed. “It was very fortunate finding those vials at Carver’s apartment just in time to prevent the infection of spreading out. The Atlanta teams of the CDC arrived in the nick of time.”

Linda shuddered a little to remember what she had gone through the last few days. But she had always had Fraser’s support and she smiled at him, in quiet thanks. He wasn’t looking at her, but she sent him her love anyway. That was when Ma Vecchio called them, “Raymondo! Benito! Linda! _Vieni a mangiare!”_

Ray translated, “It’s ready. Come on, let’s go, or she’ll be upset.”

*** * ***

So much carefulness in the preparation of the dinner for Ray and Fraser made Linda realize that her heart was filled with love. She was really looking forward for the dinner and she did the best she could with her culinary skills. She also cleaned the apartment, sparkling clean and shiny, and put one of her best dresses. She was so excited.

Everything was so new to her. Not only the dinner itself. Linda had cooked to Ray and Ben before. But now there was something exciting about it. It was just because of the decision that she had made: to experiment. She had decided to experiment everything she wanted. Throughout the talk with Mrs. Sorelli, she had realized that she wanted to experiment. After the awful experience with the toxin, she had felt that what she had in mind wasn’t worth postponing.

When Ben Fraser arrived in her home, he was still wearing the brown uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Linda opened the door to him and Dief. When she let them in, she noticed. “Didn’t Ray give you a lift?”

“No, actually, Ray’s not coming.”

“Why not?”

“He was called to a last-minute homicide and asked me to tell you he’s very sorry.”

Fraser felt truly embarrassed. He was alone with Linda, and had extremely great problems in keeping the promise he had made her, to keep it slow. One of his problems is that she looked so beautiful that it had almost blinded him. Her perfume was another of his problems, taking up all of his smell, filling up his nostrils, intoxicating him. The rest of his senses was also on alert. If he didn’t take care, other parts of his anatomy would also be on alert, so to speak.

_*Oh, dear. Better try to think about something else.*_

Without noticing the inner conflict of her guest, Linda smiled (and it was such what a beautiful smile, noticed Fraser). “I’m sorry, too. We’ll have to make him a doggy bag.”

Dief protested, and the girl said, “Dief, I assure you, the doggy bag is to * _Ray_ *, this time. You are my honored guest.”

The wolf barked differently, and Linda laughed in delight. Fraser looked at her, fascinated. Then, as if coming out of a trance, he took off his coat, and she asked, “Would you like something to drink? I have red wine. It says Beaujolais, and I was told it’s good.”

Fraser was surprised. “It is good wine. But you don’t drink. Your meds, right?”

“No, but you and Ray might want to take some at dinner. I thought I’d surprise him.”

“I’m sure he’d be charmed by your consideration., As for me, I’d rather not have any. Better… keep the mind alert.” _*Oh, dear.*_

Linda blushed a little, and tried to break the ice. “I hope you’re hungry. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Need any help?”

“No, please. You’re a guest.” She was embarrassed, and Fraser found that lovely. “I’ll be happy to serve you.”

From then on, Fraser really felt served. Linda had a recipe quite exotic using champignons and fresh shrimps, a true orgy to Fraser’s already alert senses. With his refined sense of taste, he realized that she had also prepared a fruit juice using fresh fruit. Fraser was totally moved by the demonstration of affection and dedication.

“I don’t know what to say,” he confessed, ending his second serving. “This is beyond words.”

Linda asked, seriously, “But did you like it?”

Fraser saw the sincerity and anxiety in the big, green eyes and answered. “It’s better than any restaurant I’ve ever been. Not even Ray’s mother could have done better, and she’s the best cook I know, Linda.

Linda blushed deep red. “This is so encouraging. I’m glad you liked it.” She looked down. “Dief, want some more, buddy?”

Lupine eyes stared at her in adoration and she heard a whimper, but before she could reach for her plate, Fraser warned, “He’d better not. He’s had three servings. I can vouch that he loved it.”

Linda smiled to the white wolf. “Thanks for the compliment, Dief. Being the first time I try this plate, I am sorry you were used as guinea pig.”

“You’ll have to make it again. I’m sure Ray will want to try it out.”

She began taking the dishes, and Fraser offered. “Let me help you with the dishes.”

“No, please. I can deal with it later. Would you like some dessert?”

Fraser smiled. “After what I ate? It wouldn’t be wise.”

“Then why don’t you seat on the couch while I clean the table. I’ll be right there.”

“I can help you.”

Linda insisted, gently, “Please, there is no need. Besides, if you ate that much, you’d better not move much. And I really like serving you.”

Fraser blushed. “Perhaps I’d better stand up a while.”

“As you wish.”

He followed her around as she put the dishes on the sink and the rest of food in the stove. The embarrassment of both was palpable. Both were behaving like adolescents in their first date.

In Linda’s case, though, that was the naked truth.

Linda led him to the couch smiling nervously. “I am glad you liked the dinner. It’s practically my first time as a hostess. I’m still learning.”

“Everything was perfect.”

“Oh, you’re very kind.”

“No, I mean it. Everything was * _really_ * perfect, Linda.”

She stared at him, trying to determine if he was saying that for the sake for politeness or if there was a hint of sincerity in his words. The fact it that she got lost in those blue eyes as if she had never seen them before. Fraser also found out that for some force of nature he couldn’t take his eyes off the green ones that for the first time that glued on his.

Fraser wouldn’t know how it happened, but when he realized, he had Linda in his arms, theirs lips locked, mouths opened, tongues exploring each other, a frantic dance. The kissed rapidly deepened and the breathing quickly turned heavier. Linda soon felt the physical evidence of Fraser’s desire poking her thigh.

Both had to break the kiss, panting, and Fraser tried to catch his breath.

“Excuse me… I need to... use your bathroom.”

Linda didn’t let go of him. “No, please… As a hostess, let me take care… of your discomfort... Please...”

“You don’t have t–”

“Please sit down.”

He tripped and fell on his butt on the couch, and then Linda kissed him again, her arms slithering all over his shirt, undoing his tie and unbuttoning his top buttons.

Fraser said, “Please, that’s not necessary…”

“Yes, it is.” She licked his ear. “First, we wouldn’t want to soil your uniform. Besides, I know that your discomfort can be quite painful. As a hostess in training, I cannot allow this to happen. Please let me take care of it. Just sit down, and it will be my pleasure to serve you once more.”

Fraser had no time to protest.


	13. Chapter 13

# Chapter 13

Linda took advantage of Fraser’s hesitation and straddled him in a flash. Hungrily she took his mouth as her hands continued to take his clothes off. Fraser tried to be as still as he could, but as Linda disrobed him, his throat emitted strangled sounds, muffled ones because she hadn’t released his mouth yet. The sounds became louder when his chest became exposed and her hands slid over his nipples, making him shudder lightly. Her mouth was still all over his, their tongues in fierce battle.

Linda finally broke the kiss, and right when Fraser thought he could breathe normal again, she slid in his lap and showered wet kisses all over his pale neck, increasing his tremors. Then her mouth found the junction of shoulder and neck, while her ever busy hands found his belt. Fraser heard a loud noise: those would be his amplified moans.

Agile fingers opened up buttons, got down suspenders, zipped open pants and finally freed his manhood from his boxer shorts. Fraser twitched at the gentle touch, craving for more. His open mouth released small gasps. Linda used the distraction to make Fraser lift his hips and slid his pants and boxers together till his ankles. Now she could guide her hand to the small and compact spheres between his legs and gently massage them, provoking a long, satisfied moan. She raised her head to capture his earlobe with her lips. Below, her hand reached the cockhead and she closed her fingers around the Canadian shaft, provoking a gasp as she nibbled a long neck.

Fraser knew that rational thought had been lost for some time. All that his head could register now was those wonderful sensations in two points of his body. He began raising his hips instinctively, trying to create a rhythm, the moan in irregular gasps. Linda tried to follow some rhythm as she ran her hand, slick with his manly juices, up and down that beautiful erection that throbbed between her fingers.

At first, Linda kept being the same gentle and delicate creature she was instinctively, because that was delicate skin, but soon she let all her passion take over, to finally reach a rhythm that matched the speed of Fraser’s thought, and then the inevitable explosion happened, when Fraser’s seed spilled over his belly and he cried inarticulate sounds, all his muscles tenses. Then he was still, totally spent, seated on her small couch.

Linda stared at him, panting. Then she promplty took off his shoes and socks. The jacket, shirt and tie she folded with tenderness and put it in a chair, the same with his pants and boxer. Linda decided to let him rest for a while. She couldn’t help but stare at him a bit. He was so beautiful, with the rosy cheeks due to the effort, the sweat on his forehead, the dark hair all mussed up. He looked magnificent.

When Fraser reopened the sparkling blue eyes, Linda smiled and said, embarrassed, “I need your help.”

He almost needed help with his voice, “What?”

“I can’t carry you to the bed.”

Fraser smiled before looking at her. Linda put one of his arms over her shoulder and said, “Come, I’ll help you.”

Amused, Fraser accepted her help and padded almost naked to the bedroom. There as soon as he landed noisily on the bed, Linda said, “No, wait. I have to take the rest of your clothes off.”

“Linda –

She quickly pulled him to her body and kissed him deeply, making him forget what he was protesting about. In a matter of minutes, he was naked lying in bed and Linda was kissing him, asking between kisses. “Please… Let me give you pleasure… Please… I need your permission….”

Fraser felt a fire stirring his groin and he whispered, “You have my permission.”

Linda smiled and kissed him with even more intensity, Fraser’s desire awakening even more. She began to travel from his mouth, leaving small and delicate kisses on his neck and below, with her hands exploring his naked and smooth chest. The alabaster skin was treated reverently by her, who was on all fours above him. Her long fingers soon found his nipples and he gently began pinching one of them causing low moans coming direct from Fraser’s throat. She chortled at the sound and attacked the nipple with her mouth, making him shudder while she gently licked and sucked on the delicate nub. Then she did the same with the other nipple and Fraser could feel his groin igniting and his desire in flames.

The exploring hands kept on going lower, and the mouth followed its trail. Linda licked Fraser’s belly entirely, cleaning rests of semen, proving his essence. The proximity with his groin made Fraser feel his body tensing up more intensely than ever, and he threw his head back in lust.

Then all contact with Linda ceased.

Frustrated, Fraser raised his head and saw Linda standing beside the bed, looking down at him, half a smile in her lips, a shy blush as she unbuttoned the upper half of her dress. Only then did Fraser realize that the girl was still totally dressed. Soon she was naked from the waist up, and she fell on her knees at the foot of the bed, totally disappearing from Fraser’s field of vision.

In seconds, the Mountie felt a hot, wet mouth tenderly sucking his toes. The contact was so sensuous and loving that he closed his eyes and relaxed, without even realizing that he had begun to moan again. The tongue and the mouth climbed up, angling the ankles and then to the upper part of his pale and muscle legs. Like a cat, Linda’s tongue was climbing up his body, bringing a myriad of emotions and sensations, guiding him beyond the capacity of rational thought.

Gently, the girl glided her tongue through his thigh. She was angling to grab the most coveted prize between his legs when she was surprised. Fraser suddenly became tense and raised his head, ordering, “No.”

Linda stared at him, hurt. His face didn’t have anger nor disgust, just… could it be shame?

“I don’t understand. Don’t you like it?”

“It’s… very… humiliating… You don’t need to humiliate yourself.”

Linda went up to his arms and covered him with kisses, begging him. “You said I could give you pleasure... Please, let me serve you like this… I want it very much… It’s important… Please...”

This time Fraser couldn’t even dissimulate his desire and Linda took total advantage of his lack of rational thought to return to his lower body. Her head went straight to the spot between his legs, to where his scent emanated, musky and mysterious. First her tongue lapped the hairs of the lower belly, then her hands reached delicately the two spheres hanging in their sac, caressing them, and Fraser moaned louder, almost yelling when her tongue licked the balls. When her lips closed over the delicate spheres, their owner called out her name in ecstasy.

Linda decided it was more than time that her mouth and tongue be properly introduced to her beloved’s manhood and she licked him from base to crown in one single swipe. Fraser raised his hips into the air, as Linda’s tongue made exactly the same all over his extension. She changed position in bed (always above Fraser), and her mouth ceased all contact with Fraser for a minute, evoking from the Mountie a sound so high-pitched it sounded like a whimper. In the seconds that followed, however, her whole mouth had him inside and he almost shouted, making inarticulate sounds, as the heat and humidity that surrounded him took him higher than he had ever imagined. Her tongue wrapped the crown of his penis in a perfect circle, making him almost howl in pleasure, and a distant voice (his voice) was repeating that it was so good, so good.

Linda was so happy and doubled her efforts, because Fraser’s hips were threatening to throw her off the bed. Her hands were at the back of her lover’s thighs as her mouth was still wrapping his manhood with all her care because of the delicate skin that she could feel throbbing inside her mouth, as Fraser made louder sounds. She delicately took in some more of Fraser’s shaft in her mouth, and felt the crown touching her palate. When it hit the back of her throat, Linda almost gagged with all the volume. But Linda was happy, because the smell and the sound excited her. So, she suckled and began to bob up and down the penis inside her mouth. Fraser was almost howling. At the same time, she didn’t forget to make her finger play with the two beautiful spheres right there.

Fraser’s tremors evolved quickly to convulsions and he knew he wouldn’t last long. He could felt his climax arriving while he repeated Linda’s name out loud, and although he wanted those wonderful sensations to never end, his muscles suddenly stiffened up and he felt a silent explosion inside his body, an electric discharge. Linda’s throat filled with his liquid, milky essence. She didn’t stop sucking and swallowed all his seed, milking him with love and tenderness.

For a little eternity, Fraser couldn’t think, nor remember anything that wasn’t a sensation of white peace and plenitude. The first thing that he remembered feeling were small kisses all over his face. Then he opened his blue eyes and Linda looked deep inside them, trying to remember when she had a vision that could compare in beauty to that one. She could almost cry.

Fraser’s breathing was still in great gulps when he tried to ask, surprise, “Where… was that you…?”

Linda silenced him with a kiss on his lips and a sweet smile. “Rest now. I can give you more pleasure if you want, but for now please try to rest.”

It was his turn to smile.

“I think I haven’t any energy left. You wore me out.”

“Next time, I’ll do all the work,” she promised, caressing him. “You won’t have to move. I am here to serve you, to pleasure you.”

“Come here.”

Fraser held Linda in his arms and realized she was still partially clothed, with her skirt and panties off. Sensing his curiosity, she asked, “Do you want me to take these off?”

“Yes, please.”

Linda obeyed, taking them sensually, and he smiled as she tossed the garments away, standing naked in front of him. She showed her body to him, then covered them both in a blanket, as he took her in his arms, kissing her deeply, feeling the taste of himself in her mouth. That excited him.

Linda rested her head in his chest and asked, without being able to face him, “Please stay.”

“I have no intention to leave.”

“I mean tonight. Please?”

He kissed her front. “Of course. I’d only go if you asked me.”

“I could never ask you such thing. I want to be forever like this. I love you. I –“ She choked with emotion and her voice came out small. “I never felt this way before in my life.”

Fraser held her closer, as he felt a tear falling in his chest, “I’m here, Linda, and I won’t let you be hurt. I won’t allow anyone to hurt you anymore, Linda. Because I love you.”

She raised her head to look inside his eyes, her own filled with tears and trust. She kissed him deeply and passionately, grateful. When they finally surfaced for air, she smiled like a little girl, so excited.

“I want to give you much pleasure! Yes, lots and lots of it! Different kinds of pleasure, too!”

Fraser smiled in a naught way. “Is that a promise?”

“Of course it is!” Linda was thrilled, like a child who had just discovered the joys of a new toy. “I can hardly wait. Maybe I should let you rest some more, so I can pleasure you then. Would you like that?”

He looked at her. “What about you?”

“I love to give you pleasure. That’s all I want.”

“No, I meant about * _your_ * pleasure.”

Linda didn’t understand what he was talking about. “But that’s not important.”

Fraser finally understood what was going on. Linda didn’t feel she had the right to have pleasure. He took great care to keep her close to him, protected, warm, as he sat on the bed and said, gently, “Linda, that’s not how it works. It’s not true. Your pleasure is important, and it matters a great deal. At least to me. Besides, you’d be denying me a pleasure. Would you want to do that?”

She looked horrified. “Never…! I swear...! I’ll never deny you any pleasure, any whish!”

“Then let me love you, Linda. I want you.” He pulled her closer, the blue eyes dancing inside her green ones. “Very, very much.”

He sealed his words with a deep kiss, one that left Linda almost breathless, as his arms wrapped around her lithe body. She felt whirling inside in so much happiness, and she thought she was going to melt inside that man’s arms. Fraser, on the other hand, was touched by so much love and tenderness offered by that girl that had been given so little of it. That she considered him worthy of such precious offering also flared his desire and as the kiss deepened, he could feel his body wakening in lust.

Linda’s breathing pattern was erratic when Fraser’s hands slid up her waist to find her breasts. The touch made her arch and throw her head back, as his mouth found the delicate skin of her neck to firmly suck and lick, and her fingers travelled on his silky dark hair. Fraser went down to gently lick her breasts, biting the nipples and making her jump with small cries of pleasure, as his hands went back to her waist, and hers glided to his neck and shoulders.

This time it was her time for her breath to be taken away, when Fraser bent to stick his tongue inside her navel, and her arms spread above her head, as she arched even more in bed, the back of her head hitting the sheet. Linda sobbed, “Oh, Ben…!”

His tongue kept going lower and went beyond the smooth forest of dark curls to reach the wetness of her womanhood. Linda cried out in surprise, because she had never experienced that amazing sensation. The tongue and lips, then, explored, nibbled, circled, suckled and licked in a frenzy of sensations that made Linda feel electric charges travelling all over her muscles, something her brain, paralyzed by convulsions of pleasure, could hardly describe. The choked sounds that she made encouraged Fraser to explore her even more and he became hard till it ached.

The liquid caressed disappeared for a second, and before Linda could catch her senses, Fraser penetrated her with a grunt of triumph, as Linda lost her voice, air trapped in her lungs as the surprise of so much pleasure made her eyes wide and her pupils dilate. It was a sweet intrusion in her body, a hardness that she sheltered with love and desire. The emotions were too much for her, and they were coming in a flood, and it was so good, so good. She could hear a distant voice calling for Benny, repeating that she loved him, and realized it was hers.

Right after that, Benny’s body convulsed, and she could feel a warm liquid filling her. The heat inside her loins made her explode and her body shook from head to toe, as her voice grew in pitch to cry out Fraser’s name while she thought she was dying. It was as if something had been thrown inside her body, then pulled out, rendering it limp. Above her, Fraser’s body looked as if suffering from similar symptoms, and both of them were trying to catch their breaths.

At first, Linda wasn’t even sure she was alive. The world turned around her head, she was floating in space. When rational thought returned, she felt as if returning to her body, breathing in very irregular intervals. She wished she could hold Fraser, but her body seemed made of rubber and she couldn’t move, her eyes still closed.

“Linda?” Fraser risked, concern in his voice. “Are you all right? Linda, please, say something.”

In a tremendous effort, she gathered strength to activate her voice, and it came out a squeak. “Something… happened.”

“Oh dear. What have I done? Linda, are you all right?”

She finally opened her eyes and saw two spheres, blue as a summer sky, staring at her, filled with concern. “I… never… What was… * _that_ *?”

Fraser felt a wave of relief wash his body and smiled at her in a way he had never done to anyone else before.

“You had an orgasm, Linda.”

“This… This is new... I… never felt that before…”

“And how do you feel?”

She was smiling. “I didn’t know… someone could be so happy…” Suddenly she wrapped herself in him. “I’m so happy! I love you so much!”

“I love you too. Very much.”

He bent to kiss her, the back of his hands caressing her arms. She caressed his back and raised her green eyes to look inside his blue ones. “You are so beautiful. Like a dream.”

Ben lay on his side, one hand on her waist and looked at her from head to toe for the first time, the body he dreamed for so long, a smirk that made his lips curve up. “You’re not so bad yourself. Would you mind if I –”

She gently interrupted him, putting a finger in his lips. “I’m yours, Benny. You don’t need to ask for anything.”

Ben took her hand between his and kissed it tenderly, whispering. “God, I love you. I want you so much, Linda. How could I wait so long?”

“I could wait forever for you, my love. I would have waited, without even knowing, because I had… no hope, I…” Tears sprung in her eyes. “I never... thought… I could have…”

She choked with emotion, unable to finish. Fraser pulled her against his body, as she sobbed quietly. “I hope you are crying from happiness. Otherwise, I’m going to be hurt.”

Linda wiped her tears and rushed to say, “I could never hurt you. You made me so happy! No, I’ll never hurt you!”

Fraser stared her in a solemn way, “May I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“I want you to tell me how you feel, Linda. I know all of this is quite new for you, and you are always afraid to hurt people. But I need you to be honest with me, all right?”

“I would never be able to lie to you, Ben,” Linda cocked her head. “Do you mind if I call you Ben?”

“Of course not.” He smiled. “But you didn’t answer me. I want you to be honest with me, even if your opinion differs from mine. You don’t have to be afraid to disagree with me. I know that you like some things and you don’t like others, and sometimes you are willing to do things you don’t like in order not to hurt people. But I’ll be hurt if you do that. Do you understand?”

Linda thought hard. It was an effort to her, Fraser could feel it. She finally said, “You know I have to follow the rules. If I don’t, Dr. Lennyard will send me back to the institution. And I’ll lose you.”

“I don’t want you to disobey any rule. All I want is that you tell me how you really feel.”

She went thoughtful once more and then she nodded. “All right. I’ll do that., But if I annoy you or offend you somehow, you have to tell me, so I won’t do it again, OK?”

Fraser felt his heart swelling with love for the girl. “It’s a deal. Now answer me something. Why did you break the rules for me at the hospital?” She looked at him, puzzled. “When Ray was wounded, and you didn’t know me, you risked your job, and everything you had when you let me inside the ICU. Why?”

She cast her head down, and blushed furiously, in a way that made Fraser’s heart melt, and she answered, embarrassed, “Sorry. I took pity on you, I guess. You were there for _days_. I had never seen such thing before. You looked like such good friends, even lovers. It seemed so unfair that you weren’t allowed to see Ray just because you were not family. I know the hospital rules, and I don’t know for sure why I ended up doing that. It just seemed the right thing to do. You couldn’t be treated as if you were nothing, day after day. I talked to my boss afterwards, and she said I did a good thing. I’m still a bit confused.”

He caressed her gently. “I was so grateful. I think I started to love you right then. I was afraid for you sometimes. I think I… forced you into some situations before you were ready to face them.”

Linda raised her head and confessed, “I don’t follow you.”

“I felt guilty to talk to Dr. Lennyard about your self-inflicted wounds. I felt I betrayed your trust. But I didn’t know what to do to help you. Can you forgive me?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing to forgive.”

Fraser put two fingers in her delicate chin, forcing her to look inside his eyes. “But it is very important to me. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course.” Linda brushed her lips on his. “I’ll forgive you anything.”

Fraser kissed her hungrily and started to shower small kisses all over her neck, “I love you, Linda… Your body, too…” 

His mouth soon reached her chest and Linda arched her body, throwing her head back and offering him her breasts. Fraser took the offering in his hands and then his mouth, as Linda felt the desire burning inside her.

The bodies rubbed against each other and in no time at all Linda’s thigh felt Fraser’s passion poking against her. She took him in her hand with utmost care, feeling him shudder in delight above her body.

Suddenly, Fraser grabbed her arms and flipped her, turning her on her stomach. He grabbed her breasts on his hands and let his manhood poke her near the buttocks, a sensation of power and lust. The girl couldn’t ever imagine that the weight on her back could be so exciting, and still it was because she was moaning and sighing in seconds, panting in delight. Fraser’s lips started to glide on the back of her neck, then at the junction of neck and shoulder and Linda shuddered, feeling rational thought fleeing completely.

Ina a swift, delicate movement, Fraser put his knee between her legs and spread them, entering her without warning, and she wailed in pleasure. One of her knees was raised, pressed by Fraser’s leg, and he enjoyed her, his hands on her hips, pulling her against his body, moving against her, increasing the speed. The rhythm was in a crescendo, and Fraser began to groan her name in an altered voice, making her desire grow, luring her into moaning and groaning, too. It didn’t take long until she felt that strange explosion inside her loins, her body shuddering, as Fraser grabbed her breasts and nibbled her shoulder so he wouldn’t scream in pleasure, grunting as he thrust inside her. Then Linda felt more humidity inside her and the universe exploded…

After a long time, Fraser wrapped her in his arms, and she turned to kiss his face – * _all_ * his face, his nose, his eyes, his cheeks, all places. He smiled and she whispered, her eyes filled with unshed tears, “I want to love you fully… All of you… Please let me…” Fraser opened his eyes to look at her and she was crying silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Oh, I love you so much…”

That was totally unexpected and the Canadian was moved to see the honest gratitude of the green eyes that peered him from behind grateful tears. He comforted her and licked her tears, her scent impregnating his nostrils. For a while, Linda just sobbed quietly, unable to even cry, whimpering. Finally, her breathing evened. Fraser thought she had fallen asleep, but she suddenly asked, “Are you hungry? I could bring you something.”

“I think we should sleep a while.”

“But you can’t sleep if you’re hungry, I know that. I’ll bring something light, OK?”

“OK. Some water, too.”

“All right.”

Linda picked up the robe and padded to the kitchen. From the living room, lupine eyes stared at her in adoration as she wandered in the kitchen. She almost jumped in surprised. She had completely forgotten about Diefenbaker! Maybe he was thirsty, too, like his master. And the poor creature probably would like some sleep. 

Using an old towel as an improvised nest for the wolf, Linda got him a nice warm place and brought him a bowl of water. Then she went to the kitchen and didn’t get out until she could get back to the room with a jar of water and a bowl of sliced fruit. When she got back to the room, the vision wrenched sighs out of her.

Fraser had fallen asleep, maybe exhausted by their lovemaking. He looked like an angel lying in her bed. Linda put all the things in her nightstand and sat on the bed, just admiring him. She could stay like that half a lifetime, hearing the soothing breathing of the man she loved, eyes fixed in his amazing face. Her heart was racing in her chest.

How could such wonderful man be in love with her? And he also had an important job at the Canadian Consulate. She was a former patient of a mental institution. What a strange and improbable couple…

All of that was still a miracle to her, some dream she was afraid of waking up. There were still a lot of things to think about, but her heart was singing with joy, a smile spreading slowly upon her face. The hunger she was feeling was forgotten just to look at him. All she could recognize at that moment was a Paradise that she never knew in her entire short life. And she never thought she’d ever know.

With great care not to wake the sleeping beauty at her side, she lay at Fraser’s side, getting closer to him to examine all his face’s details. She noticed the little scar on his cheek, and wondered where he’d gotten that. Fraser had already briefly mentioned one in the chest, caused by a bizarre episode featuring a sea otter in his youth. And there was also a scar on his back. That one always made Fraser sad, kept Ray silent and leave both with an expression that frightened Linda a lot. She decided that the scar in Fraser’s back was a very delicate issue, and she didn’t want to upset her two best friends.

She closed her eyes and her smiled widened as she remembered how was it to feel Fraser’s arms around her body. So good…

Suddenly, Fraser moved, startling her. But he didn’t wake up, although his hand landed on Linda’s waist, making her shudder. It wasn’t lust, it wasn’t excitement, but a different sensation. There was the temperature his body was emanating – a heat that could warm up the loneliness and the emptiness. She snuggled against his body, and he received her in his sleep, his male body covering hers like a warm blanket. She felt so safe and protected in his arms. Without meaning to, Linda let sleep take over her, after a long day, and a long night, filled with intense emotions.


	14. Chapter 14

## Chapter 14

First there were only tiny movements and small cries, that seemed like nothing. But Fraser felt something wrong when Linda began to scream, and kick and thrash.

“No!… Stay away from him!… No, Mr. Fraser!!! No!!!”

“Linda!” He tried to contain her, but she didn’t wake up, gripped in the nightmare. “Linda, it’s just a dream! Wake up!”

Suddenly, her eyes opened in a huge surprise, and she gasped. It took her a few seconds, panting, sweating, shaking, trying to remember who she was, where she was and what was going on.

In those seconds, Fraser was holding her, and tried to guide her in a gentle voice, “It’s OK, Linda. You had a nightmare. Now it’s over. Everything’s all right.”

Linda was shaking, as the tears didn’t stop falling, “It was that man…! I tried…! Oh, Benny!… I’m so sorry!... I tried to stop him… I couldn’t!...”

Fraser hugged her heard, as she cried heartily, sobbing so loud she was almost convulsing. Her whole body was shaking, and Fraser patiently waited until she calmed down, caressing her. It took a while, and it was almost morning, until she stopped crying, sleep once more taking over her, exhaustion winning her troubled heart.

*** * ***

Linda opened her eyes, at first trying to figure out what was his warm and smooth body at her side. A second later, her lips opened up in a smile, remembering the night she had just spent. She turned around and saw Ben’s beautiful face. She smiled and blushed even more when she saw that he was also looking at her. He pulled her towards his body and kissed her long, leisurely, enjoying every minute of it. Then he made his forehead touch hers, smiling.

“Good morning, Linda.”

“Good morning, Ben.”

“How do you feel?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. But I still want to know how you feel.”

“Happy. And hungry. But I don’t want to get up yet.”

“Then you’ll stay hungry.”

“But I don’t want to lose a minute of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you’ll soon be going to work, and I don’t want to spend the rest of the time I have with you cooking. But I don’t want you to starve, wither. I don’t know what to do.”

“I know what to do.”

“You do?”

“You must spend the whole day in bed. And I must spend it with you.”

“But – your work…”

“I’ll say I’m sick.”

“Would you lie for me?”

“You did the same for me, and you didn’t even know me.”

“That was different.”

“Yes. It made me fall in love with you.”

Linda felt her heart burst with love and smiled, melting. “Oh, Ben…”

He kissed her passionately, bringing her body close to him. Then said, “I better call the Consulate and tell them I’m too sick to go to work.”

“OK. I’ll make you some breakfast. It’ll surely improve your health.”

He smiled with the joke and dressed hastily, to go after a public telephone.

Linda also put on a T-shirt and sweatpants and went happily to the kitchen. She cooked eggs, got orange juice (her favourite) and made some toasts, enduring Diefenbaker’s hungry looks. She couldn’t resist and gave the wolf something to eat. She was almost done when Fraser returned. He came into the apartment.

“We can smell it in the hall. The neighbours will come knocking, too.”

“Come in.” She arranged a tray. “We can eat in bed.”

They did that, and spilled a little juice in the bedcover, as they laughed, happy. Fraser passed her a toast with strawberry jelly.

“I love the way you laugh.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“I love your smile. Those... tiny little dimples… that appear at the corner of your lips... They also appear a lot when you and Ray are talking. I love them.”

He seemed embarrassed. “I also love your food. What did you do to these eggs?”

“I cooked them, that’s all.”

“It has to be something.”

“I mean it. I used some butter and fresh milk, that’s all.”

“Hummm. I loved it.”

“Ben, are you sure Dief can’t eat something? He looks hungry.”

“He always looks hungry.”

“We can walk him later, can’t we?”

“I guess so. But it’ll have to be much, much later.”

“Why?”

“Because now,” Fraser walked on his knees on the bed, “now I want to make love to you.”

He took her in his arms and she let his tongue travel between her neck and her chest, where the T-shirt denied him access to her skin. Linda suddenly jumped out of the bed.

“Wait. Let me clean this.”

He didn’t answer. He grabbed her hungrily, wrapping her in his arms, kissing her passionately, exploring her mouth as his hands glided underneath the clothes. Then his mouth turned to her ear and whispered huskily.

“Don’t be long.”

Linda shuddered and went out of the room without being able to say a word, hurriedly grabbing the tray and other things on her way to the kitchen. She hadn’t made her way there when someone knocked at her door. Linda was puzzled.

“Linda, it’s me, Ray. Please open the door.”

She almost panicked. She ran to the room and Fraser lay in bed.

“I’ll be here hiding.”

“I don’t want to lie to Ray.”

“Then you’ll have to tell him.”

“I’ll try to dismiss him. Please be quiet.”

She was nervous when she answered the door. Ray came in quickly, and he was agitated as well. “Sorry, Linda, I know it’s early, and you should be resting, but I don’t know what to do.”

The girl began to feel frightened. “Ray, what happened?”

The Italian began to gesticulate, not bothering to hide his apprehension. “It’s Fraser. I went to pick him up to work this morning, but he wasn’t home. I stopped at the Consulate, and they said he was sick. So I went back to his apartment, to see if he needed anything, but he wasn’t there. Linda, he’s sick, and he’s out there, somewhere, alone.”

“Ray, please, calm down. You’re making me nervous.”

“I don’t know what to do. He’s never sick. And now he disappears!”

Linda saw how worried her friend was and she didn’t have the heart to lie to him.

“Ray, there’s nothing to worry about. He is here.”

“Here?”

“He spent the night here. I’ve just made him breakfast.”

“He slept here?”

“Yes, Ray.”

The detective stopped talking two seconds, then ran to the bedroom. He saw his Canadian friend under the covers, looking at him. At the nightstand, there was water. He could smell a faint odor of orange juice.

“Benny! How are you?”

“Hello, Ray.”

The Italian sat beside him and touched his friend, looking relieved. “If you had a fever, it’s broken. But you don’t look good.”

“Well, I called in sick, didn’t I?”

“I’ll take you home.” He started looking around the bedroom for his things. “Ma will look after you.”

“Ray, it really isn’t necessary…”

“Shh! I don’t want to hear it. First you scare me to death, and now you don’t want to take care of yourself. Typical!”

“Linda is taking care of me.”

“Linda is a lovely girl and a great friend, but if I tell Ma that you were sick and I didn’t bring you home, she will kill me.”

Linda finally said something. “Ray, maybe moving him isn’t the best thing to do.”

That made the Italian stop to stare at her. Then looked at Fraser. “Maybe you are right. I think he needs to rest.”

“I am sure all I need is some rest.” Fraser sat up. “Linda was kind enough to take care of me and she works in a hospital, Ray. She knows what to do. You may offend her.”

Ray turned to the girl. “Linda, I didn’t mean that you weren’t taking good care of Benny. You certainly know what you’re doing. I can see that. I just -

“I’m sure you’re only trying to do what’s right, Ray. But Fraser would be devastated to bother your mother. Besides, I don’t want to risk him going out now and catching a fever again. He can get worse if he goes out now.”

“You may be right. After all, you can always call me, if he gets worse, right?”

“If it were anything serious, you know I’d call you, Ray.”

“I’ll tell you what: I’ll come at the end of my shift and I’ll bring Benny home. Then I’ll take care of him, and Ma can pamper him.”

Fraser tried to protest. “Ray, there’s no need…”

“No arguing on that, buddy. That’s why we’re friends.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Ray.”

“And get some sleep. You look awful.”

“Understood.”

Linda said, “I’ll walk you to the door.”

Ray walked out of the room and Linda went to see him to the door. There he stopped to hug her tight.

“I’m so very proud of you. You took such good care of him that he doesn’t want to go.”

Linda reddened, more due to the embarrassment of having to lie such a good friend than to the compliment. Ray, of course, had no way of knowing about it. He gently kissed her front and said, “I’ll bring dinner, so you don’t have to worry about it. The three of us can eat here and then I’ll bring Benny home. So you can rest. I assume you didn’t sleep well.”

“Well, it’s true that he didn’t let me sleep.” More blushing.

“You could have called me. Any way, I’ll be back later, OK?”

“OK, Ray. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried. I know Benny is in good hands.”

He smiled at her, kissed her once more and left. Linda sighed.

Fraser greeted her with a question as soon as she entered the room.

“So I really look sick?”

“You said you were sick, didn’t you?”

“I’m getting sick from wanting you so much, Linda. Please.” He reached out his arms, inviting her. “Come to bed. _*Now.*”_

Her heart raced and she grasped his hand, kneeling in the bed as Fraser wrapped his arms in her tiny waist and drew his nose to her belly, trying to inhale the scent of her navel. He used his hands to take off her t-shirt and plunder her breasts with his mouth, making her arch her body. Before Linda knew it, she was naked, and Fraser was all over her, his desire even more intense than his touches over her heated body. She sat on the bed, undressing him, whispering as she nibbled on his ear’s lobe. “Please… let me.”

He couldn’t even remember answering. “Anything…”

Linda took off his pants and boxers, and pounced on him, her tongue circling on his chest, making him moan in pleasure. Then she slid down to his navel, and further down as he gasped. Fraser threw his head back, closing his eyes and letting himself float in a sea of sensations brought by Linda’s tongue. When her mouth started to gently suckle one of the delicate spheres between his legs, Fraser felt rational thought fleeing him completely. The wondrous mouth continued and continued to suckle on the spheres and he moaned in ecstasy. Finally, Linda tongue travelled up and down his throbbing shaft and her hands focused on his pale, succulent thighs.

Linda was as excited as Fraser when she took him whole inside her mouth, and he yelped, feeling himself completely wrapped in warmth and wetness and love. It took him his best control, trained in the RCMP, not to climax immediately. But curiosity took the better part of him and he raised his head to steal a look. He saw Linda’s head bobbing up and down, her hands delicately wrapped around his member, her eyes looking inside his in adoration. The vision was so exciting that threw him into a fierce orgasm, wrenching her name from inside of him between gasps of pleasure. Linda received all his juices, milking him to his last drop.

As Fraser went limp, she made her tongue slide up and started to shower small kisses all over his pale chest, repeating his name as if it were a prayer, saying how much she loved him. He looked almost asleep, sated, putting her in his arms, his warm body enveloping her very soul.

Linda pulled the covers over them both, thinking Fraser wanted to rest. For some minutes, he caressed her naked back. Then his hand went to her chin and caressed her jaw. He whispered her name. She smiled.

“I love you.”

“You didn’t let me love you.”

“You didn’t like what I’ve done?”

“Of course I liked it. That’s not it. I want to make love to you, Linda.”

She blushed, and avoided his eyes, embarrassed. Fraser felt his love for her growing as he took her in his arms.

“See? You blush all over, and I find it lovely. You are adorable in many other ways. I want you very much, Linda. Very much indeed.”

“Why?”

“You are very stimulating. And I love you. To me, this is not a casual encounter.”

“I know you wouldn’t do it. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I want to know. Why me? Why are you here? I am not... you know, normal."

“I’m not… standard type, either, Linda.” He was serious. “You could fall in love with anyone. Francesca has introduced you to young men your own age. I am older than you and you know it.”

“But I’m… Or better, I’m * _not_ *….” She seemed confused and sighed, frustrated. “I mean, I’ve lived in an institution, Ben. You must know that I take meds, that I have to see a doctor once a week, and that I have to follow very strict rules, or I’ll have to go back there. Perhaps for good.”

“I know all that, Linda. Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt you.” She couldn’t look at him. “Sometimes… I can’t stop being scared. I don’t know how I’m going to manage. I can’t control myself. I get very scared sometimes.”

“Do I scare you?”

“No.” She came closer to him. “No, you don’t scare me. But you… _touch_ me. Touching… is different now. I never knew it could be like this. When I was a child, I spend a time in an orphanage, but I don’t remember much, because I was too little. Right after that, I went to the institution. Nobody touched me, unless they were going to hit me, abuse me, or give me shots. Before that, my father touched me… To beat me… and hurt me… Do stuff to me…

Heart in pieces, Fraser held her against him, kissing the point where neck and shoulder meet, saying. “This is over now. I just want to give you pleasure, Linda. I want to touch you a lot and give you lots of pleasure.”

“Please… Do that again…”

“What again?”

“You know… That thing I felt before.”

Fraser smiled. “Your request will be my pleasure, Ma’am.”

He turned and playfully charged against her, touching her in every possible way. She laughed out loud, being tickled, and Fraser felt his heart swelling out of pure love, without stopping kissing her breasts, his blood boiling.

“I love you when you laugh like that… Free…”

“Oh, Ben…”

He got excited and entrapped her with the mere weight of his male body, a different hunger consuming him. In seconds, his caresses had turned into a shade of pre animal lust, as his manhood engorged rapidly. Fraser held her arms spread wide on the bed and invested on her neck, making sounds of an animal in heat, her body totally at his mercy. Suddenly, he felt her body shuddering, in spasms. But it was very different from sexual stimulation. He looked at her face with great care and concern. Her eyes were closed, her face was crumpled, and she seemed to be in pain.

“Linda… What happened?”

She opened her eyes, and they were overflowing with tears and terror. But Ben’s heart really broke when she whimpered, a strain of voice. “Please… I can’t move… Don’t hurt me… Please don’t… hit me…”

_Oh, no. What have I done?_


	15. Chapter 15

## Chapter 15

Piercing pain shot through Fraser’s chest when he realised that by trapping Linda in his arms during their love-making, the girl imagined herself being abused once more. He slowly set her arms free and soothed her. “It’s all right, Linda. I won’t hurt you.”

As soon as she was free from him, Linda scooted away from him, confused, in tears. “Ben… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean… But… it was… just… I’m sorry, Ben… I just…”

Fraser didn’t move near her, but kept his voice low. “It’s all right, my love. No one is going to hurt you. I’m the one who needs to apologize. I should have taken it slower. I love you, Linda, I would never hurt you. Please forgive me.”

She looked at him, her eyes huge with fear and tears streaming from them. Then she sobbed twice, before throwing herself in his arms.

“I was so scared!… I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine, Linda. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

With great care so she wouldn’t feel trapped, Fraser held her gently, caressing her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, until her sobs were more spaced. Not long after that, she seemed embarrassed.

“I feel so foolish… Of course you’d never hurt me… But I... I...”

“You’re not foolish. You were scared. It’s natural, after all you’ve been through.”

“I’m sorry, Ben.” She seemed very sad and held on to him. “I should have trusted you. I can’t forgive myself of being afraid of you. But… I thought I could deal with it. I couldn’t. Forgive me, Ben.”

“Its all right. I said I’d wait for you. You didn’t do anything wrong. You have nothing to apologize.”

Linda felt as if she was melting inside, and tears sprung back in her eyes. “I know you’re willing to wait, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough, Ben. You are so good to me. No one has ever treated me this way before you and Ray showed up in my life. I am so very grateful for both of you, for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Speaking of Ray, he will come back this evening, won’t he?”

“Yes. I don’t like lying to him.”

“I don’t like that either. But I don’t think now is a good time to tell him. He still feels responsible for the things Carver did to you.”

“Ray is such a good man.” She smiled. “Did you notice how worried he was about you? He wants me to take good care you.”

“Yes. He is a good friend.”

“We are lucky to have a friend like him. I don’t want anything to ruin that friendship. Or your friendship to him. I’d hate to see anything between the both of you. I won’t let that happen.”

“Ray was my very first friend in Chicago, and he did all he could to help me find my father’s killers. He followed me all the way to Canada, wounded and all, to do that. I owe him so much.”

“Ray gave me you. He gave me his own family. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Ray.”

He held her, pretending to complain, “You keep talking like that, I might get jealous.”

“Don’t.” She offered him her lips and he took them. “I love you.”

Fraser saw the love and commitment in her green eyes and kissed her passionately, exploring her mouth with his tongue and her body with his hands. The closeness of their naked bodies made Linda feel Fraser’s desire coming alive again between his legs and poking her in her thigh.

He took her breasts in his hands and gently caressed them with his lips, as Linda threw back her head, offering him her throat. He nibbled softly her delicate skin on her neck and she shuddered – of pure passion. One more breathless kiss followed by his talented hands all over her silky skin and she was panting again. She looked down at Fraser.

His grey-blue eyes shone with desire and she saw herself drowning in them, a fire erupting in her groin. Their naked bodies intertwined and Fraser spread her legs, as he nibbled the left side of her neck, causing shivers all over Linda’s body. Slowly, he began to slide inside her, feeling himself being received by her, wrapped by her wet, hot body. He wanted to stay forever inside her. The two bodies became one.

Linda felt as if she was about to scream. Actually, she would have screamed, if she had any voice left. She could feel every inch of Fraser inside her and it was a feeling from which she would have died happily. When he began to move, the sensations just grew. She heard a moan growing and it surprised her to find out it came from deep inside her throat. Panting as she was, incapable of rational thought, she tried to warn him, “It’s too… much… I’m gonna…! Ahhh!”

The unfinished sentences, the moans, and the voice filled with lust maddened Fraser and he lost himself, moving enthusiastically inside her. Suddenly, his body convulsed, and Linda felt once more the gush of his juices inside her body. That precipitated a strange reaction in her own body. Linda could feel when the sensation was peaking inside her, like a volcano, so hot it was white, ready to erupt. She tried to hold on to Fraser, but that white burning overwhelmed her once more, and once again she screamed his name, diving in a world of delights, her body dissolving from the inside out, as she tried to recover her breath in his arms.

When she could feel again, she wriggled a bit in his arms, feeling safe and happy. She was tired, too, and she was a bit sleepy. Linda felt Fraser kissing her gently and she responded to the kiss. She was so happy that she couldn’t help but get her eyes watery again.

“I love you so much…”

Fraser kissed her and said nothing, just smiling at her in that way that made Linda melt inside. She said, “I wish this moment would never end. I am so happy. You are so good to me…”

“Linda, I love you. You are so alive, so filled with life. And you are beautiful.” She blushed, a pinkish tone in her cheeks, and she averted her eyes. “Your body is amazing. But you are much more than that. I remember that dance at the Consulate.”

“I loved that.” Her eyes were shining. “I was so proud that you chose me to go there.”

“I wish you could see the brightness in your eyes, Linda. You were glowing. I was already in love with you. But when I saw you there, I was ecstatic. And everybody was looking at you. You were astonishing. So beautiful. Other men were looking at you and I… I was jealous.”

“I was so scared that night.” Linda recalled. “I remember being very relieved when you saved me from all those people.”

He caressed her face. “They were at your feet, Linda. Taken by your beauty and grace.”

“Everything was so new to me. The music, the people in such fancy clothes… You were so nice to me. I was so excited I could hardly sleep. There are so many things I still don’t know. There are many things that amaze me, and others that I still haven’t seen.”

“I want to show you everything. I love the way you smile when you are amazed. I remember the way you laughed when you met Dief for the first time. The sun was shining in your hair, the snow was fresh, the air was clean. I almost stopped breathing, Linda. You were… so perfect.”

“Ben, you embarrass me.” She saw the long lashed moving towards her and tried to convey a happier tone in her voice. “But I still love you and I want to take care of you, just like I promised Ray I would. After all, you * _are_ * really sick. You need to sleep, and I have things to do.”

She moved, but Fraser stopped her. “Where are you going?”

“I must freshen up, then I have to feed you and Diefenbaker before Ray arrives. I’d love to stay with you my whole life through and never leave this bed, but duty calls. Will you be upset?”

“Extremely. Would you like some company?”

“You don’t have to do this, Ben. I thought you wanted to sleep a little.”

“I want to stay with you, Linda. I want to enjoy every moment with you, because I don’t know when we will be able to be like this again.”

“I hope we can do this a lot of times.”

“Not until we tell Ray.”

Linda confessed, “I’m afraid of that, Ben.”

“Are you afraid he would disapprove us? But why would he object to us being together? He’s our friend, and he likes you very much. And for starters, why would we need his approval?”

“He is our friend. I want him to approve of us. It’s important to me. Besides, he is your friend. I don’t want to stand between you two. I will never let that happen. Never. I’ll do whatever it takes to prevent anything from interfering in your friendship. It’s very beautiful.”

“You won’t stand between anybody.” Fraser smiled. “Ray’s a grown man. He’ll understand.”

“I hope so. Now get up. Time to hit the shower, mister.”

Laughing, hugging, kissing, they managed to reach the small bathroom. Linda got in the shower and got wet, at first shuddering, then getting used to the tepid water. Fraser grabbed her gently by the waist, nibbling on the soft, wet skin sliding through his hands and got under the water, turning her around and throwing her brown hair to the side to invade her mouth, water cascading over them both. Lovingly, Linda took a sponge and started washing his body, a loving caress lined out by soap bubbles on the broad back and perfect members. Then she came to his knees on the bathtub and asked her to do the same – using only his big grey-blue eyes.

Linda shampooed carefully his hair and he did the same to her, amidst plenty of wet kisses and thousands of slithering caresses, the water pooling at the tube. When her hair was clean, Fraser pulled her to his body and she felt his hard penis poking her, as her withering body provoked tiny waves on the small tube they were enjoying each other’s bodies. Gently, he made her sit on his lap and she mounted him, as he sat on the tube, his stiffness sliding inside her, only this time in her own terms, in her rhythm. First clumsily, then gathering a steady pace, Linda felt Fraser filling all of her, the movement revolving the water with such force that the bathroom floor was getting all splashed up. But Linda could not help herself but to be voluntarily impaled by Fraser’s spear, his moans exciting her more and more, until a warm gush of sperm deep inside her, and her own body shook before going limp over Fraser’s already exhausted one, her hands crossed at the back of his neck as her only point of support. She cuddled in his lap, and Fraser could feel tears of his own mingling with the cascading water from the shower. That girl was so good to him…

The next thing he felt were delicate lips all over his face, then moving to his neck and chest. Linda smiled at him and kissed him fully on the lips.

“Have I already told you I love you, Constable?”

Fraser joined the joke and merrily said, “Why, no, assistant nurse, not in the last 9.8 minutes.”

She faked being scandalized. “How could I be so forgetful? If you will come with me, Constable, maybe I can think of a way to remedy this inacceptable situation.”

They stood up, finishing their ablutions as the water was starting to turn cold. So far it all had been fun, but when Linda dried Fraser’s body, he noticed that her attitude was very respectful, almost one of devotion. Her hands spread out everywhere, as if her finger could savour his pectorals, biceps, thighs, his backside. Even details, as the skin behind his ears or between the toes were carefully dried with a towel. And he also dried her in a ritual of love, kissing every inch of skin, now fresh, clean, sweet. Fraser didn’t know many women, but Linda’s body, even though not particularly extraordinary, was beginning to get impregnated in his memory. Soon he would be able to travel his hands all over her and give her pleasure in the right places without having to open his eyes.

“Hmmm.” Her lips travelled up and down at the delicate skin of his neck, provoking tremors all over his body. “I could spend all day doing this… Actually, we’ve * _spent_ * all day doing this.”

Linda laughed out loud, free, and Fraser’s heart jumped, then he simply rushed to kiss her until they were both out of breath. In his arms, Linda raised her eyes to look inside his and whispered, “You’re going to make me cry again if you keep on doing this.”

“I hope this time you cry out of joy.”

“It is sheer happiness.” The word she uttered, plus the look she cast at him, made his heart jump again. Linda was just amazing. “Unbelievable happiness.”

He kissed her again, with as much passion as he could muster. And then Linda called him, tapping gently his arm. “Come. It’s time to eat. Better put on some clothes.”

Linda took out the rest of the fruits and started making sandwiches, as Fraser gave Diefenbaker water. Needless to say, the wolf seemed more interested in what the girl was doing.

“We better make a light meal. Ray is bringing dinner.”

“That is very kind of him.”

“We got bananas, oranges, plums and apples. That and turkey on rye. Is that all right?”

“Lovely. I love fresh fruit.”

“So do I. Dief, buddy, I’m sorry, but I’ve only got sandwiches for you.”

As if he could understand, the animal whined quietly. Linda really felt bad for him and petted him. “I’m so sorry, Dief. We didn’t plan this, so I don’t have any food for you. I’ll try to leave always some dog food in the kitchen from now on, all right?”

The wolf was at alert, his ears perked up. Linda smiled and hugged him. Fraser shook his head.

“There, you’ve done it. You and Ray are going to spoil him completely.”

“I love Dief.” She washed her hands and started passing him the fruits. “I’m also thirsty. Want some juice?”

“No, thanks.” He sighed, invigorated. “I think this is the best day of my entire life.”

“It certainly is for me. But I don’t like lying to Ray.”

“I also don’t like it, and I don’t do this normally. But I understand there are going to be some effects. I mean, reactions. In the family, too."

“The Vecchios? Do you think they would mind? Why do you think that?”

Fraser seemed embarrassed. “Maybe… I mean… Francesca might…”

Linda turned pale. “Oh, no. I had completely forgotten about Frannie!... Do you think she’ll hate us?”

“She might feel… betrayed.”

The girl lowered her head and avoided looking at him for a minute. Fraser looked at her intensely, and she looked as if she was taking a lot of effort thinking. Then she reached a conclusion, because she raised her head and took out a plum to peel off.

“Well, I love Frannie as if she were my sister, but I can’t give you up. I’m sorry for her.”

This time Fraser laughed out loud. Linda didn’t understand why. But when she heard him laugh so free and relaxed, quite the opposite from his usual behaviour so stiff and uptight, her heart melted, and she forgot what she was going to ask him. She had the rest of the meal on his lap, at his request. Then she led him back to bed – naked, of course.

But Linda began things with subtlety, telling him she could feel the tension over his body and offering him a massage. She started with his back, first without knowing really how, just imitating what she had seen other people doing, pouring love in her hands. She had heard so much about it that she wanted to try it out. It was really breathtaking the amount of trust Fraser deposited in her, the girl who had a past in the loony bin, as nurse Cheryl didn’t miss the opportunity of saying.

Fraser was lying on his stomach, his arms stretched aside his body. Linda’s long fingers moved between his shoulders, and he moaned, moving his head to feel his muscles unwinding. Linda felt her heart miss a beat, and she thought she might be doing something wrong.

“Did it hurt?”

He could barely speak. “No… it’s great. Please, don’t stop.”

“All right. But you’ve got to relax.”

He obeyed, and Linda put all her tenderness to touch her lover. She would probably blush if anyone spoke her the word. She could have never imagined that she would someday have somebody she could call lover and hear her voice so full of adoration and love. That was a totally bizarre reality to her.

Concentrating completely on her hands, since she didn’t have any kind of oil to perfume Fraser’s body, Linda caressed the vast backside, the perfect legs and the flawless buttocks, as well as feet and toes. Then she asked him to turn around and she was rewarded with a breathtaking sight: Fraser was so relaxed that his eyes were closed and he looked asleep, his body all rosy with her rubbing, as if it were made of rose petals displayed in a marble surface or perfect ivory. As an angel.

Fighting her tears after this vision of paradise, Linda massaged his body with extreme love and tenderness, avoiding his most heated places. But her avoiding to touch didn’t prevent Fraser’s body from reacting to her caresses and she could see the magnificent member rising for one of the most glorious moments of her entire life. She blushed and returned to rub his thighs; he moaned, his body responding to her loving touch.

Linda took her time to rub the inner part of his thighs, lasciviously, and she moved her own body to get closer to her goal. This time she wouldn’t avoid his intimate parts anymore. Very, very gently, Linda used her long fingers to caress the beautiful spheres between his legs, as her other hand explored his groin. Fraser withered and moaned as his breath spiked, at the mercy of Linda’s intimate caresses. She continued to explore, and soon her hand was gliding all over his throbbing erection, making him explode in new sensations, leading him to the brink of pleasure.

Fraser couldn’t help a small cry when she took him in her mouth – all in one single take. Her tongue moved by the underside of the rigid member and then by the other side. She used the hand to put some pressure at the erection as her tongue wrapped around the inviting pink tip. The organ throbbed and vibrated when she applied a bit of suction and Fraser tried not to thrust inside her mouth. His head felt dizzy and the way she was licking his other head was something he could even imagine. If someone ever described it to him, he’d thought it was a king of exotic torture. But it was sheer pleasure. It was almost unbearably good. He grew harder and bigger as Linda sucked and licked and lapped and pulled and drove him nuts. But when she took all his manhood in her mouth in one single take for the second time, he couldn’t hold back anymore and cried out her name, spilling his sweet nectar inside her throat. Once again Linda took it all avidly, milking him thoroughly, then kissing the flaccid member when she was done.

Fraser lost notion of space when he felt the covers over his body and gladly let sleep take over. Linda was so happy that she cried a bit, trying not to wake him up. Then she slipped out of bed, dressing her T-Shirt once more and sweat pants. She wanted to give her lover the opportunity to rest as much as he could.


	16. Chapter 16

## Chapter 16

It was much, in the end. Linda started making a fresh orange juice when she heard a knock in the door. Dief growled, annoyed at the interruption of his sleep. She opened the door and Ray went inside, carrying many parcels.

“Hi. I hope I have everything here.”

“Shh.” Linda alerted. “Ben is asleep.”

Ray kept his voice down, asking. “How is he?”

“I think he’s better since you’ve seen him, Ray.”

“Oh, poor you. You look tired. Fraser can be quite annoying and stubborn sometimes. Did he give you much trouble?

She smiled, but not for the reasons Ray imagined. “No, he didn’t give me trouble at all. He took a shower then rested. I think his fever’s gone.”

“Good. Well, I brought a bit of Mamma Vecchio’s miracle soup and pasta. Ma asked us not to be long. She was worried about Benny.”

“Your mother is so kind, Ray.” Linda smiled and poured the juice in a cup, then in a tray. “Come, he needs lots of liquid.”

She knocked at the door. “Ben? Ray is here. I brought you some juice.”

The voice that Linda loved answered, “Please come in.”

She obeyed, followed by Ray. Fraser sat up on the bed, his hair a bit tousled. Linda put the tray in the nightstand and the cop greeted him. “Hey, buddy, how are you feeling?”

“Fine, Ray.” Linda passed him the juice. “I feel very well.”

“I can see that. Laying back, a pretty nurse. Man, you really got it all.”

Linda blushed, and so did Fraser, who drained his juice quickly. Linda suggested, “Maybe you’d like to join us for dinner. Ray brought Ma Vecchio’s soup for you. It’s got a reputation of being a miracle worker.”

“There’s also pasta, if you’re up to it.”

“All right. I’ll get dressed.”

Linda brought the tray back to the kitchen. As she heated the food Ray brought, she felt her cooking was laced with love for Fraser and her Italian friend. She loved them both and she knew it.

The rest of the night passed quickly, as they ate and Ray took Fraser to the Vecchio home. Linda went to bed early, and slept the whole night through, and this time, it seemed the nightmares were gone very fast, before she woke up crying or screaming, as they usually happened. That was new.

*** * ***

In the morning, Linda made a decision. Her face probably denounced her determination, because when she got in the hospital, her friend Samantha asked, “Hey, Linda, is everything all right?”

“Yes, Samantha. Why do you ask?”

“You look like…” She hesitated. “Ready for something. Look, I heard what happened to you. I’m glad you’re OK.”

“Thanks, Sam. But I need to speak with Mrs. Sorelli. Do you know where she is?”

“Third floors, I guess.”

“Thank you kindly.”

For the first time, Linda walked through hospital hallways without her green uniform or a patient’s gown, and with her heart whistling. For a minute, she gazed at all her co-workers, to whom she cast a coy smile and wondered. * _Do they know? Can they tell just by seeing me? Can they see that I’m a totally different person?_ * Happiness seemed to be written all over her face. She just knew it.

“Linda!” Mrs. Sorelli greet her in a very loud and Italian way. “How do you feel?”

“Quite better, thank you, Mrs. Sorelli.”

“I have news. The CDC called from Atlanta. They said you were very lucky that the toxin and the antidote were found on time. Did you feel any side effects?”

“No, Ma’am. I am just fine.”

“That’s good. You look very good.”

“Thank you. Mrs. Sorelli, I was wondering. Do you need me back to work immediately?”

“No, not really. Would you like more days off?”

“That’s not quite it. I was thinking about something else. Would it be terribly bad for you if I changed shifts?”

“Change shifts?”

“Yes. I was looking for an opportunity to work in the daytime.”

“That’s unexpected. I thought you liked the night shift.”

“I have nothing against it. But I wanted to… change.”

“Well, Linda, it might be a while. I’d need to find someone who wanted to take the night shift, and that’s hard. Besides, you know I’ll have to report that to Dr. Lennyard.”

“I can do that myself. As a matter of fact, I’m on my way to do that right now.”

The chief nurse looked carefully at the girl and asked, “Linda, is everything all right?”

“I’m great, Mrs. Sorelly.”

“May I ask why do you want to change shifts all of a sudden? You said you didn’t mind working night shifts, ad now you want to change.”

Linda blushed. “It’s just… If I keep on working at night and sleep during the daytime, I wouldn’t have many opportunities of… er… going out.”

“Going out?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Linda looked as red as a Mexican pepper. “Going out.”

“As going out… in a… date?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Mrs. Sorelli smiled. “Linda, that’s wonderful. I’m very happy for you. Very, very happy for you. Can we meet your mysterious boyfriend?”

“Well… Yes… I guess… Would this change take long?”

The chief nurse could feel the girl’s anxiety. “Maybe not, Linda. I heard Mr. Bertelski could be interested in a second job, and he might need to work at nights. I’ll check with him, and then I’ll get back to you.”

“I’ll be very grateful. And I also thank you for you help regarding … er… that other matter. The tips proved very useful.”

Now it was the older nurse’s turn to blush. “Anytime, Linda. Do you know when we can expect you back to work?”

“Tomorrow night, I’ll come at my regular schedule. I’ll clear that now with Dr. Lennyard.”

“Linda, if you need more sick leave, come talk to me.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think it will be necessary. See you tomorrow, Mrs. Sorelli.”

“See you then, Linda. And enjoy the rest of your day off.”

She didn’t have time for that. In the minute she walked inside Dr. Lennyard’s office, Linda was questioned about everything concerning Carver’s toxin, including things she didn’t know. Then she said she wanted to change shifts, and the subject moved to Fraser and all that he meant to her. Dr. Lennyard said he was glad that Linda was so happy and willing to pursue the relationship with the Canadian. Linda felt a bit insecure, because there were many things she didn’t know, and many other she didn’t have a clue. The psychiatrist asked a lot of questions about Linda’s feelings towards Fraser, about the relationship and the future. Linda couldn’t answer much, except that she had a deep love for Fraser and that she felt her chest burn every time she realized he was hers… Dr. Lennyard was not inclined to get into details, but he made Linda think a lot. He always had this effect over her.

She took the prescription for the medication and right after picking it up she decided to go to the district, where she was enthusiastically greeted by a bunch of cops she called friends. Soon a small group of them surrounded her and she felt herself blushing when she realised the dedication and tenderness from all who asked about her health. Elaine Besbriss asked her about Fraser’s health.

“Actually,” said Linda, “that’s what I came to find out. Ray took him home and I…”

In this instant, Ray Vecchio got out of Lieutenant Welsh’s office and smiled when she saw him. “Hey, Linda. Everything fine?”

“Yes, Ray. I came to know about Mr. Fraser.”

“Don’t worry, kid. Benny is fully on his best, working at the Consulate effective this morning. It seemed your tender care paid off.” Linda blushed as she remembered the “tender care” she provided Fraser. “Hey, it’s almost lunch time. Do you want to grab a bite?”

“I could eat.”

“Great. I’ll talk to the lieu.”

Elaine got near Linda again, this time with a low voice and a tone decidedly conspiratory. “Way to go, Linda, you luck gal! When you want fill us in with a description of Benton in his sleep or how is he outside that red serge uniform, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

The red flush came back to Linda’s face and she decided to look firmly at her feet, stammering.

“Oh, I-I… Well, actually…”

Elaine tried to relieve the tension, “Chill out, Linda. I was just joking because you slept on the same roof as the alabaster god. The feminine contingent of the district is very proud of you; did you know that?”

“But I didn’t sleep all night,” said Linda, innocently. “Not when Mr. Fraser was in my bed.” It wasn’t a lie.

Elaine got excited and threw her a wicked smile “See? _That’s_ what I’m talking about! Way to go, sis!”

Linda ardently wished she had had a religious education so she could pray for Ray to come back soon and rescue her from the well-meant joking. Her saviour, however, came in the form of a big, kind Lieutenant Welsh.

“Miss Linda. How nice to see you.”

“Thank you, sir.” Ray stood beside her. “It’s very nice to see you, too.”

“I’m glad to see you’re fully recovered.”

“Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern.”

“You’re very welcome. I still want you to tell me where is that place that has the cappuccino you brought in the other day. You know, decaf, no sugar?”

“Oh, sure, sir. It’s best if I take you there. Although it’s not far, and not necessarily a coffee shop, it’s easy to miss.”

“All right. It’s a date. Vecchio, take good care of our young girl.”

“No problems, boss, it’s taken care of.” He turned to Linda. “Shall we go?”

Linda led the way outside the bullpen, and waved, “See you, lieutenant. Bye, Elaine.”

They walked outside the 27th and Ray asked, “So you’re not working today?”

“No, I only get back to work tomorrow night.”

“Good, because we have time. How about a nice meal? My treat.”

“That’s very nice. Thank you.”

“The Riv’s right here.”

At the restaurant, Linda still didn’t seem convinced about Fraser’s health. “Are you sure Mr. Fraser is all right?”

“Of course. Didn’t I say he was?”

“Then it’s something else that’s bothering you. You never have a long meal. It’s always a quick lunch. If you changed, it’s because there’s something bothering you.”

“Ah, a girl that knows how to observe others.” Ray sighed. “You’re right. Something is disturbing me, but it’s not Benny, it’s the job.”

“Is it a case?”

“Yes, a case. There’s this man, and he’s very slippery, he always manages to walk away unpunished. He’s getting to my nerves. Now I’m working with the FBI, and all they want is nothing less than the impossible.”

Linda was impressed. “Wow, Ray. You’re working with the FBI?”

The Italian was touched with the sincere excitement of the girl. “Yeah, but I’m sure they are not that thrilled. Anyway, I shouldn’t be bothering you with my working problems.

“You know it doesn’t bother me, Ray. And if there’s anything I can do to get this man, all you have to do is tell me, OK?”

Ray was really touched. “You’re a true darling, you know that? Hey, let me take you to a new restaurant. Too bad Benny can’t come. I called him, but he said he couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“He told me the Dragon Lady wanted him to finish all the paperwork in the Consulate. He needs to work late.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. But he keeps telling you that her superior officer has a name, and it is Margaret Thatcher, not Dragon Lady.”

“I know.” Ray grinned in an evil way. “I love to tease her.”

“Ray, you’re impossible.”

With such a great conversation, they ate and enjoyed their mutual company, as usual. Linda imagined, once more, that it was a blessing to have friends like these.

The following weeks were quite eventful, with a lot of changes in Linda’s life. She managed to change schedules a lot quicker than imagined, and it took her at least two weeks until she got used to sleep at nighttime. Actually, her nights got even longer, but she didn’t mind. As it happened, she and Fraser met without Ray knowing it, usually after work – sometimes he went to her apartment, sometimes she went to his. Sex was not mandatory, but the truth was that they could hardly keep their hands off each other. Linda still could not believe at the way things were; that a wonderful, beautiful man such as Fraser could have fallen in love with her. She couldn’t be happier. For the first time in her life, she smiled a lot, and she positively glowed with so much love she exhaled.

Following all these changes up close, Fraser had also begun to discover all the treasures and joys of intimacy and companionship. He was so used to be even more lonely than his wolf, and all of a sudden that sweet girl was disclosing a whole new world to him. Fraser could hardly believe the coldness and solitude his whole life had had been up until now. It seemed that Linda had been as lonely as he had. But now everything had changed. Together they had found each other and themselves.

In the meantime, they had the faithful and constant company of their friend Ray Vecchio. The Italian was more than willing to take them to work or to pick them up afterwards, since all three ended their shifts more or less at the same time. After they got home, the couple sneaked to meet secretly, or made up excuses, so they could be together intimately without hurting their friend.

It was easier since that Ray’s case with the feds consumed more of his time than he wanted. Fraser and Linda had more time to enjoy each other. But lying to Ray was something neither of them wanted to do. Telling the truth to their Italian friend was a subject they discussed vividly, but they still had doubts about his reaction. They didn’t want to lose his friendship, which was so important to them.,

Of course, neither Linda or Fraser could know that revealing to Ray or to the whole Vecchio clan about their romance would soon be the least of their worries.


	17. Chapter 17

## Chapter 17

“Vecchio.”

“Hi, Ray. It’s Linda.”

“Linda. How’s it going?”

“Fine, Ray. Look, hum, I just wanted to tell you that the hospital is making a week about prevention against infections, something like it. I’ll be working very late.”

“The whole week?”

“That’s right. But they’ll provide transportation, so you don’t have to pick me up, OK?”

“All right, sweetie. Take care, will you?”

“Thank you, Ray. Bye.”

*** * ***

“Consulat Général du Canada. General Consulate of Canada.”

“Constable Fraser, please.”

“ _A moment,_ _s’il vous plaît_.”

“Constable Fraser.”

“It’s me, Ben. I’m sorry to bother at your work, but I have bad news.”

“What happened?”

“The hospital will be making a prevention week about infections and I won’t be available. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Linda. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too. I’m... really sorry.”

“I understand. Don’t worry.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. Please call me if you need something.”

“Thank you. Good bye.”

*** * ***

At the end of the week, Benton Fraser decided to make a surprise to his girl and went to the hospital to pick her up at the end of her last shift at the end of the prevention week. With his red serge, Stetson in his head and racing heart, he went to the nurses’ station and recognised Samantha, Linda’s friend. She smiled at him.

“Hello, Constable.”

“Hello, nurse.”

“So, have you finally decided to give us back our prized girl after that crime prevention week?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“That crime prevention week of yours,” said the nurse. “Linda said that you and your detective friend took her on a trip to take a course on crime prevention, after what happened to her.”

Fraser felt a cold, dark hand squeezing his heart with a morbid pleasure in seeing his pain.

“I was under the impression that the hospital was in a prevention week… against infections. Linda was busy all week.”

“Who told you that?”

“Linda.”

“When?”

“At the beginning of the week.”

“So she isn’t with you now?”

“I haven’t spoken to her in a few days. Isn’t she here now?”

The nurse became as white as her uniform. “She was on leave all week because she was supposed to be with the two of you. I don’t understand. Where could she be?”

Fraser had no time to waste with useless question. Politeness, however, was always in his manners. “Could I please borrow your phone?”

“Of course.”

He called the police.

* * *

His foot was high on the air to kick the door, but his cell phone rang inside his jacket. Ray Vecchio gestured to the squad and took a few steps to answer the phone, irritated.

“What is it?!”

“It’s me, Ray. I’m sorry, but it is an emergency.”

“Fraser, I can’t talk right now!"

“Linda is gone, Ray. She’s been missing for days now. I need your help.”

Ray sighed, hearing the concern in his friend’s voice. “I’ll see to it as soon as I can, Benny.”

“All right, Ray.”

The detective flipped the phone closed and shut his eyes for a second, trying to focus on the task ahead. Right now, catching Moreaux was his priority. After all those months and the last weeks of sheer hell, it seemed like the bastard would finally pay for all he had done and all he had put Ray through.

He nodded to the rest of the squad and the FBI agent knocked at the apartment’s door. “Open up! Police!”

Moreaux himself came to the door, putting on a robe. “If you guys don’t have a warrant, I’m pressing charges.”

Ray pushed him. “That guy right behind me has it, scumbag.”

“What’s the accusation?”

“The Gonzalez murder.”

Moreaux snorted sleazily. “Forget it. I have an alibi. I had a… thing that night.”

“The whole night?”

“The whole night.” A jeering look.

“Well, she’ll have to go downtown and tell the story. And it better stick.”

“You won’t like it, Vecchio.”

Something about the way the jerk said it disturbed Ray, but he asked the agent at his side, “Search everything.” And to the uniform behind. “And take out the trash.”

That was when Jack Huey’s voice came from the end of the hall. “Er… Ray, may talk to you for a sec?”

The detective went to his colleague, who was standing by one of the rooms’s door, pointing to a bed. Ray squatted and saw, underneath the bed, in a small and dark room, a huddled figure lying by the corner of the floor, as far away from the door as possible – there was a bucket with feces near the bed and the smell was horrible. At first, Ray thought the figure was sleeping, but he noticed the fragile body trembling, and the hidden person was definitively awake. If he was trying to hide, he wasn’t doing a very good job. Ray motioned to two policemen, who promptly dragged the hiding and unresisting person.

It was a woman, actually a girl, veiled by a mess of tangled, dirty hair, her body frail and scrawny, scantily dressed in a thin cloth, with her hands tied and blindfolded. Her body sported several bruises, multicolored, denouncing days of severe abuse. When they took out the blindfold, they saw that her face had not been spared.

And they also recognized that the girl was Linda.

And she was in shock, her eyes unfocused, her skin grey, with a layer of cold sweat in her front.

Immediately, before anyone could stop him, Ray ran after Moreaux, but he had already been taken to a patrol car. Linda shrank at the policemen touch, but she didn’t resist. Instead, she cried in silence. Someone put a blanket around her shoulder, and she didn’t notice it. She also didn’t notice when her hands were set free or when she was taken to an ambulance. Ray rode with her, and took her to St. Joseph’s, not to the hospital where she worked.

Ray waited almost an hour, in silence, frightened. As she was treated, he couldn’t stay with her, but he tried to look from afar. By the looks of the doctors and orderlies, things didn’t look good. Benny said she had been missing for _days_. For days she had been suffering. How had Moreaux put his hands on her? And why?

The doctor approached him with a char. “Are you the cop that brought her?”

“Yes, but I am a friend of hers. How is she?”

“Well, she’s quite injured. She has been repeatedly abused, tortured and raped. Physical cuts are infected; we have dressed those. Fortunately, there have been no broken bones or hairline fractures. We did some blood tests, and we can dismiss pregnancy. But other STDs, including Aids, will take at least a week to know for sure.”

Ray tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry. He had thought about it.

The doctor stared at him. “You said you were a friend.”

“I am.”

“A good friend?”

“A very good friend, yes.”

“Then you must know. No intimacy for at least four weeks, so the tissues can regenerate. Is she on medication?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“In that case, she has a doctor or a therapist, right?”

“A psychiatrist. Dr. Lennyard.”

“You’ll want to call him. She’ll need him. She’s very shaken.”

“Can she make a statement? We’ll need that.”

The doctor thought for a while. “You can ask her yourself. Come with me.”

Ray followed him to an infirmary nearby. He found Linda laying in one of the beds. She looked oblivious to the world, staring at the dividing curtain, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. The detective looked at the doctor, who gestured him to go to her. Carefully, Ray approached the bed and put himself in Linda’s field of vision.

“Linda.”

At first he thought that she didn’t hear him, so he came closer, but before he could call her again, he heard a moan, “Ray…”

Linda tried to sit up to get near him, but he sat on the bed. “No, Linda, it’s all right, it’s all right.” She had already curled up to his body, weeping. “Everything’s going to be just fine.”

She seemed quite agitated, and pleaded, “Please don’t tell Benny! Please, Ray!”

“He’s so worried about you, Linda. So am I.”

“Don’t tell him, please!” Her swollen eyes, blackened, begged, “Please, Ray!”

“All right, don’t worry. If that’s what you want, I won’t tell him”

“Oh, Ray…”

For a long time, all she did was hold him and cry, and there was nothing Ray could do but try to be there for her. In the end, Ray managed to get Linda released from the hospital. He took all the prescriptions she would need, and explained her that she had to make a deposition. She nodded obediently.

Nothing seemed to make her stop crying.

Linda walked into the police station and passed by all those people she knew. She saw them looking at her, but she could barely see a step ahead from her. She was crying too much.

At the interrogation room, there was a female officer with her. She was given some tea, so she could calm down, and Ray decided to watch the procedure from the other room, through the double-face mirror. Lieutenant Welsh himself decided to question Linda. And he became very surprise right at the first ones.

“No, Linda, I don’t think you understood the question. I asked you when did he abduct you.”

“He didn’t abduct me, sir.” Linda’s voice was shaky. “I wasn’t abducted.”

“He lured you to his apartment, then?”

“No, I went to the apartment on my own will. He gave me the address and I went there one day after work.”

“But he kept you there, Linda. As a prisoner.”

Linda could barely contain herself. “No…! I was… free to go!”

“Linda, you were found in a locked room. You were tied under a bed.”

She hesitated. “I walk in my sleep. I can get hurt if I wander alone.”

Welsh had never seen anyone lying so bad. He reminded her. “Remember, Linda: you are under oath.”

“It is true, sir; I walk in my sleep. You can ask Ray. Or Mr. Fraser. They know that!”

“Linda, I know you’re a good girl, but I have to tell you: Did Moreaux promise you anything? Did he give you any gifts?”

“Gifts?”

“Yes, to make you go to his house. Did he offer you?”

“No, sir.”

“Did he offer you money?”

“No, lieutenant. I went there because I wanted to.”

“Did you know that your words are letting go a man accused of murdering three people?”

“I wouldn’t know about that, sir.”

“How did you meet Moreaux?”

She was crying. “He called the hospital one day. Invited me to his house.”

“Linda, we can get this guy in jail for assault and aggression. All you have to do is say that he beat you. You can’t deny that, Linda. We got all the medical reports.”

Linda started to shake badly. She cried harder, seeing her story crumble, but she insisted, “It was an accident…”

On the other room, Ray shook his head, watching the girl through the mirror. He saw the trembling hands, the fearful eyes, the words of denial. He began to get confused, angry. The facts didn’t add up. * _There’s something very wrong here…*_


	18. Chapter 18

## Chapter 18

Benton Fraser got inside the district with a queasy feeling. All night long he had been trying to retrace Linda’s last known steps. In vain. An irony for one of the best trackers of the whole Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It seemed that she had made a wonderful job of getting a five-day advantage over anyone who might be interested in knowing where she might have disappeared to.

The hospital staff confirmed Samantha’s version. The landlady had also been notified that Linda would be going on an unexpected trip with the two police officers. Dr. Lennyard had receive a message on the same terms.

With the exception of Ray and Fraser, Linda hadn’t talk to anyone in person. It was obvious that they would have investigated the matter had it been otherwise. Anyway, there was no guarantee that Linda was in Chicago when she called. By that time, she could very well be out of the state od Illinois or even out of the country. He had to know.

Fraser got the information that Detective Vecchio was in Interrogation One. He knocked at the door.

“Come in!”

Fraser opened the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Ray, but I’m on my way to work, and – _*Linda?!*”_

Ray saw Benton Fraser get extremely white at the sight of Linda in the next interrogation room, still wrapped in a blanket, soaked in tears, her face bruised. For the first time ever, the Mountie was speechless.

“You found her… She is _hurt!_ How is she? Ray, what…?”

Ray felt his friend really lost and guided him to the nearest chair. “Benny, sit down here.”

For long minutes, Benton Fraser heard the incredible words Ray told him, unable to believe them. As soon as Ray stopped talking, he got up. “I have to see her.”

Ray had to jump him. “Hey, hey, pal, wait a minute!” Fraser stopped, but his blue eyes were shining in a way Ray had never seen before, and he was shaking all over. Ray tried to cool him down. “Look, now Linda needs some rest. I’ll bring her to my house. Ma already knows the situation. Let her rest and we’ll find out exactly what is going on – _when_ she’s able to talk, Benny.”

Without hiding his effort to comply, Fraser cast his head down and nodded, a lump in his throat. Then he asked, “Call me at the Consulate if anything happens. If you need anything, Ray, anything at all, please call me.”

“She’ll be at my home, Benny. We’ll take good care of her.”

“I know.” The Canadian tried to smile. “Will you call me later?”

“Sure thing. Now you can go to work.”

“All right.” He looked at Linda through the glass. She looked so alone, in so much pain. “May I… I need… to talk to her..”

Ray said, hating every word. “Better not, pal. Later, she’ll be able to see you.”

Reluctantly, Fraser nodded and left. Only God knew how much it hurt him to leave Linda at that state. He imagined if she could get worse and sink to that state of deep introspection.

Ray saw his friend leave the room and couldn’t help but be worried. He had never seen Fraser in that state. But it made sense. Yes, Fraser was Linda’s friend, and he was also his friend. He recalled Fraser’s apprehension when he himself got shot. The Canadian had stood three days and three nights outside ICU until Linda let him in. His worry for Linda’s state now was something akin, thought Ray.

When the cops finally released Linda, she looked exhausted. Ray took her to the Riviera, then Welsh called him back to the bullpen. It was a swift discussion, one that started with “What the heck is wrong with Linda?” and ended with “You’re off the case and that’s final!” When Ray went back to the car, Linda was asleep.

The Vecchio clan had everything ready for them when they got home. It was so much noise that the girl woke up even before Ray could get her in his arms. She was taken to the guestroom, and Linda apologized with Mamma Vecchio for her clothes, but Ray said Francesca would be glad to borrow her some clothes while she was there. Linda apologized to Ray for all the trouble, and Ray said she didn’t do anything wrong. Once again, she asked him not to tell anything to Benny, and Ray said he would hear about what happened sooner or later, but she was not to worry about that now. The doctor had prescribed rest for her, and there was a visit coming. It was Dr. Lennyard.

The good doctor came and went out of the Vecchio home without getting nothing besides making Linda cry harder. She just apologized, but she couldn’t talk anymore. And she stayed quiet, weeping in silence.

Ma Vecchio brought her soup, and she delicately refused. The Italian woman sat on the bed, putting the tray beside her. “ _Bambina_ , you can talk to me. Do you want to talk?”

Linda shook her head, trying to stifle the tears. “Everybody seems to want to talk to me. I don’t understand. I got nothing to say.”

Ma Vecchio took Linda’s hand. “Everybody likes you, Linda. They are worried, that’s all. Now take your medicine. I brought you a glass of water.”

She obeyed. “Ma…” Linda hesitated. She couldn’t face Ray’s mother, the tears falling freely. “Ma, please... Could you stay… a while… Just a while…”

“Of course, _mia bambina_. But I am old, and my back hurt. Can I rest my back on the bed?”

“’kay.”

Linda moved over to make room so Ray’s mother could sit beside her, and soon she was wrapped in two strong Italian arms, a smooth voice caressing her ears, “I will stay here until you fall asleep. Is that all right?”

So much love, so much acceptance made Linda get a huge lump in her throat and she buried her head in Ma’s chest, crying heartily. She didn’t even hear the door open and Ray watch the scene, but his mother gestured him away. The old Italian woman caressed Linda’s hair and whispered sweet nothings in her ears as she sobbed. A long time afterwards, Linda finally got tired of crying and fell asleep, under Mrs. Vecchio’s caresses. Her borrowed mother only left the bed when the sobbing became sparse.

Two hours later, shouts echoed away throughout the house. It was a big commotion and a multitude of Vecchios got in Linda’s room. But she wasn’t in bed. Maria and Francesca went looking for her downstairs and Ma went in the bedroom. But Ray, who was asleep after working all night long and had been awaken by the screams, knew just where to look. He went under the bed. There Linda was huddled, shaking. With a soothing voice, he reassured her, “It was just a dream, Linda. It’s all right. There’s nothing to be afraid. It’s all over.”

She kept on crying in silence, but she allowed him to take her out from under the bed. He held her gently and she wept heartily, her whole body shaking. All other Vecchios were quietly sent away as he held her. That’s all Ray did: held her. Linda didn’t need anything else. She slept again. She also woke up screaming twice, but Ray was there.

At the end of the day, Fraser showed up at the Vecchio’s, Diefenbaker in tow. Ray had never seen him so worried. Then he realised he had never been so worried before himself. Not even for Fraser, who was his best friend. Maybe it was because the Canadian was very resourceful and could deal with any problems. But Linda was quite fragile emotionally, and didn’t know how to defend herself as well as the Mountie.

That was why, despite having many restrictions to Linda being disturbed, Ray didn’t have the heart to deny Fraser’s request to see her. But the Italian didn’t give in easily.

“I’ll have to ask her first Benny. If she says no, then it’s a no go.”

“Understood. But why would she say no?”

Ray hesitated, not sure if he should mention it, then decided to tell him. “She asked me not to tell you what happened. Wouldn’t say why, though.”

Fraser bit his lower lip and nodded, looking at his feet. “I understand.”

“But I want to be there, Benny. I got to be present.”

“If she says so, it is all right. I just need to talk to her, Ray.”

“Benny, she didn’t breathe a word to me. I’m also in the dark in this. And I got the impression Moreaux is laughing at us.”

They went upstairs and Ray knocked on the guestroom’s door. Linda was wake. Ray went inside, smiling.

“Hi, Linda. How do you feel?”

“Good, I guess, Ray.”

“Er, Linda, I thought I’d give you a heads up. Ma is making some _pasta pomodoro_ and this time she won’t take no for an answer. You’ll have to eat something. I’m sorry.

Linda tried to smile. “Your mother is very nice, Ray.”

“Look, Linda, Benny is here.” Ray got the impression she shuddered. “He wants to see you. He is very worried about you. But I won’t let him in if you don’t want to see him. Are you… afraid of Benny, Linda?”

She shook her head, still looking at her lap.

“I know you guys haven’t seen each other much lately, but he’s a friend. Did you two have a fight? Was he impolite with you?”

“No!” Linda felt her cheeks hot. “He was always very courteous to me. It’s just… that I…” The tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked. “I… I let him down, Ray!…”

She buried her head in her hands and wept. Ray was utterly lost.

“I don’t get it. What did you do?”

Between sobs, she tried to speak. “I let… Benny down… He’s my friend…! That man… he tricked me! … Benny will be… mad at me…!”

“Man?” Ray’s green eyes grew wide. “You mean _Moreaux?”_ Linda nodded, still sobbing. “What has Moreaux got to do with Benny?”

“Benny is going to be so angry at me… I did something very bad!…”

Ray took a deep breath and reassured her, as he would do to a seven-year old child. “Linda, Benny will not be angry with you. I assure you that. But you got to tell me about Moreaux. What has he got to do with Benny?”

“He told me… he would harm Benny… He had pictures… Benny was taking money… He was going to showing them to Benny’s boss… Then Benny would be arrested… Taken to Canada… And he’d never be back here!….” She was getting more and more agitated.

Ray tried to calm her down. “Linda, listen to me. These are lies. Benny would never do nothing like that, you know it.”

She held on to Ray for dear life, her whole body shaking. “I didn’t want, Ray… I didn’t want… But I did… everything he asked… I didn’t want to…!”

Ray caressed her hair. “Shh. I know you didn’t. Everything is fine. Now you have to tell Benny.”

Linda held Ray even tighter. “I’m so scared, Ray!”

“I told you: Benny won’t get mad at you.”

“No, Ray. Not Benny. That _man!_... He said... He could… He can….

Ray smiled – for the first time, it wasn’t a pretty smile. “I hope he tries, Linda. I hope he does, because then we can nail him down for everything he did to you.”

She backed a little and looked into his eyes. For the first time, Ray saw a flicker of hope inside her green eyes. “Will you?”

“If you tell the police what you know and if he tries anything, we can grab him. Don’t worry. May I call Benny in? He must be anxious. To see you”

Linda cringed a bit, but she knew there was no way of postponing that conversation. The sooner the better. So she blew her nose, wiped her tears and drew a big breath before nodding. Ray asked. “Do you want me to stay here?”

“Please?”

“All right.”

In moments, the door opened and the Canadian got inside. But his wolf sped up and jumped up on Linda, who petted him while Ray installed himself in a chair at the end of the room. Fraser sat on her bed.

“Hello, Linda. How do you feel?”

She stopped petting Diefenbaker to answer, her voice small. “Better, Benny. I’m sorry.”

“Why? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I should… have…” She started to cry. “I’m sorry… I…”

He took her hands. “Linda, I’m sure you did what you thought was best. I was worried, as Ray, and everybody who care about you.”

Linda was so touched that she threw herself in her arms, crying. “Benny… That man…!”

He let her cry for some seconds in his arms, then asked, “And how did you know him?”

“He called the hospital… one night… Said he was a friend… And he had some pictures… You were in them… taking money… Dirty money… Then he said… he hadn’t decided what to do with the pictures… But since I was your friend… I might be willing to help you…

Fraser felt bile rising to his throat and he looked at Ray. He gestured to Fraser keep Linda talking.

“And what did you do?”

She was still clinging to him. “I went to him… He showed me the pictures… I said… you’d never do that… He insisted… Said you’d be arrested… Deported…To Canada…! And you’d never come back! … I was afraid, Benny, I was _so_ afraid…!”

“It’s all right, Linda.” He kissed her forehead, his heart breaking. “It’s over now.”

“He asked me if I wanted to help…. I said I’d do anything… to help you, Benny… He said he was… very lonely… Asked me if I wanted to be his… girlfriend… Just for a few days…”

Ray was so disturbed with what he heard that he moved in his chair. Linda was crying and sobbing, but somehow she couldn’t stop her horrible tale.

“I agreed. He asked me to tell you… that the hospital was going to make me work double shifts… Then he made me call the hospital…. Tell them I had a trip with you guys… After I did that, he repeated that I… I had a choice…. That I could go away whenever I wanted…! And I wanted, Benny!…”

Linda was all curled up in Benny’s arms, and he was trying his best to control himself so he could console her. “It’s over now, Linda. He’s gone.”

“He always said… that I could go away… Every time I fought him…! But then… he started doing… _things_ …!! I didn’t want, Benny! I’m sorry! Please forgive! And in the end he didn’t give me the pictures...”

Linda was shaking so bad that Fraser had to hold her tight to keep her in his arms. He tried to look at Ray, but the Italian had his head down and was shaking it, disgusted at everything he heard. Linda cried endlessly, asking for Fraser’s forgiveness.

Sensing the stress of his packmates, Diefenbaker climbed up the bed and offered himself as a lupine cover to warm Linda up. The girl finally grew tired of crying, but she wouldn’t let go of Fraser, just as she had done with Ray and his mother. So she curled up in a ball at Fraser’s lap, whimpering. Fraser used Dief and another cover to warm her up. The sobs spaced out and Fraser gestured to Ray. Both tucked the girl in, leaving Dief for any emergency.

The two friends left the room and climbed down the stairs to the dining room, where whole family was already waiting for the meal. Despite the delicious smells emanating from the kitchen, however, neither Ben or Ray had the stomach for Ma Vecchio’s superb food.


	19. Chapter 19

# A period of adjustment

## Chapter 19

As it had already happened in the Carver case, Linda proved to be an excellent witness. The hospital records on her injuries and her statement added more evidence in the case against Moreaux, who now faced more charges for qualified assault. The police found out, however, that all Moreaux wanted from Linda was an alibi for a murder of a source who was going to implicate him in other crimes. It wasn’t easy, but Lieutenant Welsh himself took all necessary measures to insure that Moreaux went to jail for a long, long time. Ray was still working the case, but he also made it a point to keep Linda in his home. All her wounds were cared for by Ma Vecchio herself. Frannie and Maria were there for her, too, but what Linda would really like was so time with Fraser. Alone.

During the time the girl was on medical leave, the Canadian spent as much time possible with her in the Vecchio house, and he’d bring Diefenbaker every available opportunity, for the wolf was a source of joy for Linda. For this, Ray was grateful to his friend, because he was working hard on the case and didn’t have time to spend with the girl.

Dr. Lennyard followed her progress very closely and came to see Linda regularly, not to comfort her, but to assess if she was in danger of suffering a relapse and then he’d have to commit her. She was shaken up for a few days, the nightmares reliving the horrors, but all the love and care of her friends proved enough to alleviate some of the pain. In less than a week, she smiled again. Bouts of crying were less frequent. She spent a long time in the porch, staring at the street, thinking. But she was never alone.

Linda also had visitors. Mrs. Sorelli and two other nurses stopped by one night and the girl cried in happiness to see someone really cared about her. After the trio was gone, Ma Vecchio held Linda, because her feelings were all mixed up. That generally meant Linda would soon be tired and that she’d wake up in the middle of the night, screaming in terror. As it did happen frequently, as a matter of fact.

As time went by and Linda’s progress was evident, Fraser discreetly encouraged her to go back to her apartment, allegedly to get back soon to her routine, so she could deal better to what had happened to her. Actually, what the Mountie really hoped for was a chance to talk to her about the incident without having any one of the lovely but noisy Vecchios around, besides – of course – talk about their relationship.

It happened, eventually. Linda came back home, returned to work and to Fraser’s amorous arms. But nothing could be exactly the same. Especially because she didn’t say what had happened. Ray was alarmed when she refused to talk about details of the incident. The detective had worked with rape victims before, and he knew what to expect. But Linda had shut everything out. Once he tried to raise the subject, and she reacted badly, losing her control, denying everything. For now, he decided to let things the way they were, but he was fully aware that Linda was a sort of retarded bomb until she poured it all out of her.

Then Ray had an idea. Since it seemed that Linda felt more comfortable with Benny, maybe Benny could try to talk to her about it.

The Mountie was thanking deities of various creeds for Ray’s decision when he went to her apartment that evening.

“Maybe you should get yourself a telephone.”

“I can’t afford it, Ben.” She sat by his side on the couch and served him tea. “Besides, I can’t buy one. I have no civil rights.”

Fraser looked at the girl as if she had turned bald in one second. She explained, “I am a ward of the state. Dr. Lennyard has been my legal tutor since I left the institution.” Something in her eyes let Fraser know the pain those memories gave her. He took her hand, and she smiled gently, shrugging. “I learned to live with this, Ben. It’s OK.”

He sipped his tea and insisted, “Anyway, I don’t like that you have no phone. It’s not safe.”

“But you also don’t have a phone. I can call the Consulate if anything happens. Benny, this is not about a telephone, is it?”

“Linda, I worry about you. I want you to be safe. After what happened I…” Linda averted her eyes, still in pain. “Well… I feel guilty. I hurt you. It was all my fault.”

The girl faced him, alarmed. “What? Your fault? How can you say such a thing, Ben? You helped me so much.”

He wrapped her in his arms. “It was my fault, Linda. You wanted to give your body to that man on my behalf. I feel bad.

“Don’t feel like that, Ben. It was my choice.”

The Mountie let go of her and stood up, his back to Linda. “Don’t say that, please. It will only make things worse.”

“How can that be?”

“Linda, you insist that it wasn’t rape.”

“It wasn’t.”

“You know what rape is, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. Rape is sex with someone you don’t want.”

Fraser explained his logic. “So if he didn’t rape you, it means that you * _wanted_ * to have sex with him. Don’t you think it hurts me?”

“No, Ben!” She was already in tears, trying to find a way out of her contradiction. “It was not like that. I thought you’d understand.”

“I could understand it if it were rape. I could understand it if you realized that the man _forced_ you to have sex with him. But if you say it was not like that, it means you wanted to have sex with him. And it also means that my feelings are not important to you.”

Linda cried in silence, her head down in intense pain. How could she make such a big mess?

“Ben…” She was sobbing. “I love you... I though only about you… while I was with that man. Only you… could be my source of strength… throughout what happened… You got to believe me… If you don’t… then I’m not worthy of your friendship… Please Ben…”

Fraser’s voice was harsh. “You’ll have to convince me.” Inside he was broken. But that was the only way he could think of to make Linda tell him what happened – scare her.

She couldn’t face him, her face bathed in tears, the voice going weak. “How can I convince you?”

“Tell me what happened.” His voice was softer, and he sat by her side. “You have to talk about it and let it out.”

She hadn’t stopped crying, but she managed to say. “Actually, I shouldn’t be so upset. It was almost something children might play.”

“How’s so?”

“He wanted to play master and slave. When we started playing, he was nice and kind. All he wanted me to do was to sit at his feet, like a puppy, bring him food and take care of him. He called me his pretty little slave, and I was even embarrassed. I didn’t think it would be a problem. After all, I was doing that only to stop him from using those pictures he had shown me. But it didn’t take long until he became… violent.”

“What do you mean?”

Linda lowered her head, her eyes still wet, and twisted her hands – which was never a good sing. “He started to hit me if I didn’t do things as he asked. After that, he hit me for no reason. I couldn’t complain. Then… he ripped my clothes.” She almost choked. “He said that if I wanted, I could go home, but then I’d have to face the consequences. I _begged_ him to let me stay.”

For a long time, she tried to breath, sobbing. Fraser held her in his arms, and she whimpered. “He made sex to me for a long time. Then he put a collar on my neck, and took me to a room he called the slave pen. I couldn’t use my clothes. I couldn’t use any clothes at all. He gave me a big shirt. That was all I could use, so it would be easier for him to… use me when he wanted. In the next days, he started hitting me even more, and made me do some sexual things I had never done before. I didn’t like them, but I couldn’t complain. Some hurt a lot, but if he hit me, it would get even worse. Sometimes, it hurt so bad I got confused, not knowing if it was a dream or if it was real. Then I usually passed out. It made him really mad.”

Fraser was trying his best to keep the dinner and not show Linda how much he was shocked by everything he was listening. Linda tried to wipe her tears, but they kept coming.

“I tried very hard not to hate that man, because I was afraid he might hurt you. But then…” She almost choked again. “I knew… I’d just… I’d be doing all that happily if you were my Master, Ben… If you want, I can be your sex slave.”

The Mountie repressed a shout and took control of himself in no time, until he could say, clear and softly. “Linda, listen to me: I would never, * _never_ *, make you do anything to humiliate you. I love you too much.”

“I love you, too, Ben.”

He hugged her tightly and said what he had been avoiding all evening. “You know you have to tell the police all of this, don’t you?”

She winced and tried to get free from his arms. “But… I… Please…”

He tried to explain, “Linda, this man used you. He didn’t use just your body. He killed someone and, with your help, he’s going to walk out free from those charges, because you stood by his alibi. You got him free in more ways than one, because he will also walk clean from rape and assault charges.”

Linda started shaking and crying even harder. “I’m sorry… I knew you’d be mad at me… I was very bad…! I’m a bad person! I don’t deserve you!!”

Fraser still used his soft voice to gently tell her. “Quite the contrary. You are not a bad person, Linda, you are good, maybe too good. You trusted that man and he lied to you. He didn’t deserve your trust.” She finally looked up at him, sobs racking her body. “I don’t believe in honoring promises to people who knows nothing about honor. Do you understand?”

The girl caressed his hands, shaking her head. “I’m so confused, Ben. I’m so tired.”

“It all right, then why don’t you get some sleep? It will do you good. Dief and I will leave.”

“No, please, I don’t want you to leave. Please stay.”

It was a heartbreaking effort, but Fraser had to say. “Linda, we can’t… do – you know, * _that_ *. The doctor said…”

She blushed and nodded, avoiding his eyes. “Yes, I know. I just… I don’t want to be alone.”

Fraser smiled. “OK, then. I will get the couch.”

Linda thought of protesting, but she was so tired that she didn’t argue. She barely could take a quick shower and take her medicine before collapsing in bed. Her sleep was profound. So profound she couldn’t recall her own screams, the nightmares that triggered the screams, or Fraser’s efforts to calm her down.

*** * ***

Next morning, as she waited for Ray to pick her up, as usual, Linda took a decision and made all the necessary arrangements. Fraser had left early in the morning to go home, shower and change. That left Linda free and with plenty of time to make all arrangements at work. When she came inside the Buick Riviera, she knew what to say.

“You can take Ben to the Consulate first, Ray. I have to go to the precinct.”

She tried not to be intimidated by the look the two men exchanged before Ray said, in a non-committal voice, “OK, Linda.”

The ride was in total, torturing silence. The Mountie took off at the Consulate and exchanged another look with his detective friend before letting Dief out and stepping out himself. The Riv had barely left when Ray asked, “Linda, is there something you want to tell me?”

The girl had her head down and twirled her hands nervously. “Yes. But it’s an official thing, so it has to be down at the precinct.”

“You mean, like a statement or a deposition?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Linda, you know you can trust me, don’t you?”

“Yes, Ray, I know that.”

“Why are you so nervous?”

She cringed, unable to keep her voice steady as tears streamed down her face, “I don’t expect you to forgive me, Ray. That’s why I didn’t ask you to. As usual, I was bad, I did wrong and made everything worse. I hurt you and Ben, the best friends I ever had. Ben is also mad at me. I let you both down. I let down everybody at precinct. I have to make it right.”

“What?!” The Italian was awed. “Did Fraser tell you this?”

“No!” Linda raised her voice, then winced once more. “No, he did not.”

She couldn’t take it any longer and cried openly. Ray sighed.

“Linda, I’m afraid that Benny told you things that are not true.”

She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. “Ben told me I was helping that man escape. Did he lie?”

Ray sighed again. “Not exactly.”

Linda still couldn’t face her friend. “He told me that man forced me to do things I didn’t want to do.”

“That is also true, but you said you did it on your free will. So, I can’t say he lied on that one, either.”

“But Ben told me that if the man set conditions, then I was forced. It was coercion.

“It’s true.”

“And if it was forced, then it was… What happened was…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Yes, Linda. It was rape.”

Linda turned her head and looked out of the window, silent tears down her cheeks. Ray sighed, his stomach revolving, desperately wishing he could do something to ease Linda’s pain. All he could think about was to call her psychiatrist, Dr. Lennyard, so he could give her some support.

Lieutenant Welsh was more than nice to the girl, and waited until the doctor arrived to start the deposition. Dr. Lennyard didn’t object to Linda’s statement (for it could, in fact, help her healing process) and became one of the procedure’s witnesses.

It was a long, painful and hard procedure. Many times Linda’s weeping made them stop the questions and wait for minutes until she calmed down. Nevertheless, she never complained or asked to stop. She didn’t even touch the sandwich the officer brought her, and she was shaking all over.

Her words shocked the seasoned officer interrogating her. Linda didn’t hide even the tiniest details of the humiliation and degradation to which she was submitted. After a while, strangely enough, she began crying less. It was as if she had been sedated (although Dr. Lennyard had considered actually giving her some medication), or as if she was telling some other person’s tale, instead her own. The officers explained she might have to repeat everything once again, in court, during the trial. She understood that.

Linda was exhausted when everything was over, at the end of the day. Ray promptly offered her a ride home, but this time, Dr. Lennyard was the one who brought Linda home. The girl barely responded. All she wanted to do was take a long shower and head straight to bed, falling in a merciful sleep that could make her forget those horrors for a few hours. That was exactly what happened.

The psychiatrist gave her the day off. That and Ray’s news about her deposition propelled Fraser to her apartment without delay. He calmed her down, comforted her and together they took Dief for a walk. Fraser found Linda more in peace.

Linda went back to work in the next day. Many of her co-workers thought it better not to ask about what happened. During the afternoon, she received a phone call. Right after it, she asked Mrs. Sorelli to be dismissed early, under the pretext of a medical appointment. The head nurse thought it was about Dr. Lennyard and gave her the permission to leave two hours early.

Ray went to pick her up at the end of her shift, and got the news she had gone to the doctor. He asked Fraser if he knew anything about it. The Mountie said no. Both men checked it with Dr. Lennyard’s assistant, Mildred. The young lady said Linda wasn’t due in the office until next week, and she had not called the psychiatrist that day.

The two cops went crazy trying to find what had happened to the girl. She was not home either, nor at her landlady’s. The lady said she never saw Linda get home. Night was falling fast. Ray had an insight and used the cell phone to call his own home. His mother answered, “Raymondo? Son, I’m so glad you called. Could you come home earlier tonight? Linda is here, and she looks very upset.”

“I’m on my way.”

The Riv set a whole new speed record to reach 2629 North Octavia. Fraser managed to get in the house even before Dief. Linda sat at the sofa. Unmoving. He asked, “Linda? Are you all right?”

The girl had her head down, as usual, but answered in a levelled voice, “I am fine, Benton.”

_*She called me Benton. That does not bode well*,_ thought Fraser. Aloud, he said, “We went to pick you up at the end of your shift, and the nurses said you had gone to the doctor. But you said you are fine. Did you lie?”

“The doctor called me to the clinic to pick up the results of the exams”. Then she got her head down even further. “You know, the exams of... AIDS”.

Benny felt once more a cold hand squeezing his heart. Carefully, he sat at her side and asked, “Did you pick up the tests?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

Before Linda could answer, Ray came into the room like a hurricane. “Linda, there you are! You almost gave us a heart attack!”

“I am sorry about that, Ray.” She sounded at the verge of tears. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

The Italian smiled. “Of course not. It’s not your fault we thought you were missing. Benny and I are two idiots, that’s what we are”.

“No, you are not. I came here because...” A silent tear ran down her cheek “... because I didn’t want to be alone...”

“What happened, Linda?”

Fraser answered, “She picked up the results of the AIDS tests, Ray.”

A shadow of pain darkened Ray’s features, but he tried not to show it, so the girl wouldn’t be even more scared. Instead, he asked, “Linda, are you OK?”

“I...” Linda choked, trying to cry yet unable to do that. “I picked up the exams. I had forgotten about those...” She finally broke down, sobbing. “I didn’t remember at all...”

Unable to handle the pain in his own chest, Ray took her in his arms before Fraser had the chance. She cried loudly and whined, “I am so stupid... So frightened and scared...”

He consoled her, “Shhh... It is all right. Everything is going to be fine, you will see.”

Still sobbing, she said, “I am fine, Ray. I am not sick.”

The Italian looked her in the eye, “You are not?”

“No”, she confirmed. “I was so scared... And I didn’t realize... what happened.... I thought... I am sorry...”

“It’s all right, OK?” Ray looked at Benny, who seemed a bit agitated as well. “Don’t you worry, Linda”.

The girl cried a bit in his arms, and he took her home, so she could rest a bit. Fraser and Dief tagged along. When Linda fell asleep, Ray came out of the room and went up to Fraser, absolutely ballistic.

“What did you do to her?

“Me?” Fraser was taken aback. “I could barely talk to her, Ray.”

“She was so upset. Petrified!”

“I swear I had nothing to do with that.”

The detective sighed, “At least, she is safe. I would have hated it had she been infected.” Fraser trembled at the mere perspective, but said nothing. His friend called, “C’mon, I will take Dief and you home.”

“Uh, thanks, Ray, but I’d rather Dief walks to the apartment,” said Fraser. “The exercise will be good for him.” The wolf stared evilly at him, indignant.

“Ok. All right, then. See ya tomorrow, Benny.”

“Yes. Oh, Ray” He hesitated. “If something… I mean… In case– “

“Sure, Benny. If she needs anything, I’ll call you.”

“Understood.”


	20. Chapter 20

## Chapter 20

After that, Linda seemed to be less distressed. Ray was fully involved in the preparations for Moreaux's trial, and Fraser had more time to spend alone with her. She was much less traumatized, although she had not yet faced intercourse after the assault. Fraser was terrified that she would be scared. It took her a while to accept even innocent caresses. Then she kissed Fraser again. After that, the Canadian was more confident. Perhaps she had really gotten over that brutal incident.

In the evening, after work, they decided to walk back to Fraser's apartment. The Canadian felt that she was relaxed. She ran with Diefenbaker, and smiled, and screamed happily like the little girl she so often seemed to be. Fraser felt his heart swelling at the sight of her smile, or her squeals, the last rays of sunlight leaving her golden hair and green eyes even brighter, while Diefenbaker jumped on her in the middle of the street. Linda was so beautiful to him. She called him to join the fun, he just smiled at her. She ran after Dief again.

When the three of them arrived at Fraser's apartment, she was out of breath from running after the wolf. She took off her coat, “I am hot.”

Fraser offered, “I think you'll want some water, then.”

“I'd love some, thank you. Dief and I had so much fun.”

The wolf gave a quick bark. Fraser passed her the glass, which she took, noticing, “I'm glad you decided not to play. In that red serge tunic, you’d be sweating more than we are.”

“I'm already warm enough” he said “Are you hungry? I can cook.”

He went to the closet and started taking off his Sam Browne belt, which crossed his tunic in three points, and Linda called out.

“Ben, wait.”

Fraser turned to her, “What?”

She set the glass down on the sink and went into the closet, “I never learned to take off that belt. Can you teach me how to do it?”

“It is actually very simple,” he said. “The buckle is removed first, and it is done like this. Then, this strip needs to be removed, so that this other –“

Linda put her hands over his and copied the gestures.

“So this goes like this ...? And then it must be time ... to take it off ... Am I right?”

Fraser tried to maintain his posture and dignity, but the girl's proximity was making his needy body respond accordingly. His breath quickened, and he tried to maintain his line of reasoning.

“Yes, but ... the belt only comes off ... if it does ... like this ...”

Linda's voice had also changed, and she approached Fraser and touched his red Mounted Police tunic, asking, “Now ... the belt comes off ...?”

He looked at her and said, in a strangled voice, “Um… Yes...”

Both her hands were busy unbuttoning the golden buttons on his tunic, while the Sam Browne belt fell to the floor of the closet. Ben felt a burning sensation in his groin and tried to say, “Now ... it's... on the floor ....”

Timidly, Linda raised her head. Green eyes full of desire met blue eyes full of passion. Fraser took great care to slowly lower his head and touch Linda's lips with his own. His arms wrapped around her, her hands snaked into his tunic and she kissed him with all her passion, causing him to flood with desire that left him rigid with passion.

Out of breath, Fraser pulled his lips away from hers to look into her green eyes again. They were misty, silently asking him what he didn't want to deny.

“Benny”, Linda whispered.

From then on, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. His tunic was in a heap on the floor, so was her shirt. Amid desperate kisses, pieces of clothing began to fly through the small apartment as two naked bodies intertwined stumbled towards the bed.

Linda seemed hungry for Fraser's body, and she kissed every small part of his exposed skin that her lips could touch, while her hands traveled to his waist. Her mouth filled his neck with small, quick kisses, and her fingers explored his pale nipples with delicate touches, making him shiver between moans. In seconds, her mouth was on his nipples, and the long fingers enveloped the rigid masculinity. Fraser had already given up on any line of reasoning, feeling stiff beyond imagination. He knew that he could not resist long.

Suddenly, Fraser pulled away from her, and she gasped, as she tried to keep her skin on his. His arms rolled her onto her stomach and he lay on her back, rubbing the organ against her back, and his hands pulled her long brown hair. She squirmed and he couldn't take the pain in his testicles any longer – he entered her slowly yet mercilessly, desire speaking louder. As she was penetrated, she screamed with pleasure: the true sound of a woman in love.

Linda was as excited as he was, moving her body to join Fraser's rigidity even more. He was kneeling, feeling her pubic hair against his testicles, using his hands to pull her against his hips by the waist. Within seconds, they found a rhythm and felt the explosion – much too sooner then what they imagined, both screaming, yearning for connection.

When he was able to think again, he gathered her gently in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Within seconds, he felt liquid in his chest.

“Linda?”

She was crying.

“Linda, are you okay?”

She just nodded. Without a sound.

“Please, Linda, talk to me”, asked Fraser.

“I ... I ...” It was very difficult for her, and she had to take a deep breath. “I'm happy, Ben ... It can be good...”

Fraser was not following her, and it was getting on his nerves. “What can be good?”

“Love” she answered. “It can be good again ... You know, I thought ... I was afraid ... it could never be ... as it had been before ... you know, _before_ ...” She could not say anything else.

The Canadian’s heart ached at the amount of pain she had suffered, and promised, “I will never hurt you, Linda.”

“Thank you. I was afraid, Ben.” She hugged him tightly, a bit shakily. “If that man knew how much… how much you mean to me ... I would be lost ... Sorry ... Please, Ben, forgive me ...”

He kissed her on the forehead, smiling, “It's all over, Linda. Soon he will go to trial and stay away from our lives forever. We will never see him again.”

Fraser could feel Linda shiver in his arms and then ask, “Please hug me.”

He did just that. Linda felt like a balm of happiness coming from Fraser’s warm body, as his strong arms wrapped around her, and she imagined that the horrible days would end.

Until something unexpected happened.

*** * ***

It started in the most innocent way possible. A normal working day, just a week and a half after the first hearing in the Moreaux case. Ray got stuck in the district, so Fraser picked Linda up at the hospital and she invited him to some meatloaf. Dief, of course, was most enthusiastic about the idea. Too bad Linda didn't have everything ready. It would take a bit of time.

“In that case, I'll take Dief for a ride. Do you mind?”

“Of course not, dear. And you can take your time, because it will not be ready too soon. Thus, the two of you are very hungry and will eat a lot. Meatloaf is not my specialty.”

“I bet it will be great.” Fraser leaned over and kissed her passionately. “See you.”

“Have fun.”

Linda heard the front door slam and smiled, satisfied. _I love him so much_ , she thought, as she gathered the rest of the ingredients into the mix and looked again at the seasoning on the pan.

The bell rang. _So soon? They must have forgotten something_.

She opened the door, ready to ask the question, but the words died in her mouth.

“Hi, honey. Did you miss me?”

The smiling man who had spoken those loving words was not Benny. It was Moreaux.

Suppressing a muffled scream, Linda had the reflex to try and close the door, to deny that abominable man access from her home. But he was bigger and stronger than she was, and he managed to force open the door she was trying to shut, saying, “Oh, lovely Linda. Does that mean we're going to play some of those little games of ours?”

Pale with fear, she ran inside the apartment, away from him. With a hungry smile, Moreaux followed.

*** * ***

He should have recognized the signs. As soon as he entered the building, Fraser smelled burning. Dief barked – and that was something Dief _never_ did. Only when he saw the door open did Fraser become alarmed, for he knew that Linda never left the door open, even when he went there with Ray.

Upon entering, his nostrils protested the smell of burning food coming from the kitchen. But Linda was not there. A muffled noise made Dief run in the bedroom and then a male cry of pain was heard. In seconds, Fraser saw the scene. Dief was on top of an intruder dropped on the floor and Linda was curled up on the bed, clinging to the rags that minutes before were her clothes.

“Get that dog out of here!”

Diefenbaker snarled even more at the intruder. He hated being called a dog.

Fraser first took Dief's snout and made sure the wolf saw his lips to order, “Don't let him out.”

The wolf barked once in confirmation and the Canadian finally turned to Linda, who was shaking, huddled, still in bed. He took her robe and covered her with it, saying, “Come on. You will stay with the landlady and I will call the police.”

Although threatened by Dief, Moreaux still had the nerve to say, “Oh, honey, did you show your little boyfriend that trick I taught you?”

Linda opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out, and she just covered her ears with her hands, cringing. Fraser said to the man, in a low, threatening voice, “Diefenbaker can tear you apart slowly, sir. All he needs is a word from me. Do you want me to say it?”

Moreaux suddenly lost his smugness and Dief growled softly, to remind him.

Fraser took Linda to the landlady and called Ray immediately. The detective was more than immensely satisfied. This time his prayers had been answered, and Moreaux would get in the slammer for a long time. Lieutenant Welsh praised him for the job well done, all thanks to his two friends. Nothing more logical than celebrating the arrest of the scoundrel named Moreaux.

And that's when they decided to tell Ray about their romance.

Not that they had planned everything carefully. In fact, Linda and Fraser had only discussed the subject a few times and then Ma Vecchio's invitation to one of their dinners came. Saturday night would be the day.

Linda dismissed Ray's ride and arrived early at the Vecchios' house, claiming she should help out a little in the kitchen. Everyone noticed that she seemed nervous, but they knew that she would say something as soon as she felt ready for it.

At the table, Linda tried to concentrate, despite the crowd of loud Vecchios. She made her eyes stick to Fraser's. In his eyes, she saw all the encouragement she would need.

“Mrs. Vecchio, please. There is something that Ben and I would like to tell you and everyone as well.”

Ray's mother smiled at the girl, “Oh, _bambina_ , call me Ma.”

“But I need to show respect, Mrs. Vecchio.”

“Okay, _cara_ ”, said the smiling lady. “What do you want to tell us?”

“Ben and I are ... dating.”

Suddenly, sepulchral silence fell on the table like a bomb. Fraser and Linda, seated facing each other, looked like twin beets, they were so red.

_“*What*?!!”_

“We are dating. Er ... each other.”

“But ... And how ...?”

Francesca rose angrily from the table and left the dining room. Linda was pained to see that. Ma Vecchio called her daughter, and Ray said, “She won't answer, Ma.”

Linda felt miserable and a traitor to such a good family. She looked down, “I'm sorry. I think the news is not good.”

“No,” said Ma Vecchio. “We are just a little surprised, that's all. You two are very good people, and ...”

Ray interrupted his mother, “But how long has this been happening?”

Fraser answered sincerely, “A few months, Ray.”

“A few _months?!”_ The Italian shouted, arms in the air. “Glad you finally remembered to tell me! I thought I was your best friend, Fraser!”

“And you are, Ray.”

“And _you_ ”, Ray looked at the girl, eyes like green accusing rays. “I love you as my own sister!”

Linda was so distraught. “You know you're the only brother I've ever had, Ray.”

“Ray, why are you so furious with us?”

“I feel betrayed, okay? Give me a moment to get used to the idea, please!”

"We can leave," said Linda, extremely embarrassed and on the verge of tears. "I think I better go home."

It was time for Ma Vecchio to interfere.

“Nonsense!” she said. “We are all friends here, so stop this nonsense. I love you all as if you were my own children. And I give you my blessing. Whoever opposes you will be opposing me. But listen to me, because this is serious. If one of you hurts the other, try to remember one thing: we are a family, and a family always sticks together, no matter what happens. _Bambina_ , come here.”

Linda obeyed, and the old Italian hugged her affectionately, “May you and Benito be happy together. You both deserve this.”

The girl couldn't help shedding some tears in the Vecchio matriarch's arms. Ray took this opportunity to get up.

“Well .. I ... Look, I think I’d better talk to Frannie. She will get over it.”

Fraser said, “Ray, we never wanted to hurt anyone.”

“Of course not, Benny.” He smiled in a sad manner and shrugged. “Wow! It is strange that two brothers announce that they are dating.”

Linda asked, “So you're not mad at us anymore?”

Ray's smile widened, “Of course not, Linda. I'm really happy for you two, I think. It's just that I just wanted you ... you know, to let me know before you did that kind of thing.”

They smiled. Everything is well when it ends well.

Or not.


	21. Chapter 21

## Chapter 21

For the next few weeks, Linda thought she was in heaven. She went out a lot with Ben, and Ray sometimes went out with them. After that, they could be together, as they always wanted, this time without worrying about hiding their relationship from Ray. Sometimes she slept in Fraser's apartment or he spent the night in hers, and they always ended up walking together to work, now that the weather allowed that.

Linda even got inside the Canadian Consulate (it was Canadian territory, she recalled, in wonder, and it was somehow like being in Canada) to wait for Ben to leave after his shift, and was officially introduced to his boss, the famous Dragon Woman, Margaret Thatcher, and Constable Turnbull. Despite Ray's constant complaints about the woman, Linda found she was actually an elegant and attractive woman. And she had a strong character too. When the inspector looked at Linda, the girl involuntarily flinched. Fraser laughed about it when he found out later.

Linda's co-workers were also very surprised by the news. Only Mrs. Sorelli smiled conspiratorially at Linda, whose skin turned decidedly hot pink from being so flushed. Fraser did not understand why.

It caught Linda's attention that Ray seemed to be no longer the same. She noticed that their friend refused invitations to go out, but always offered rides. He was becoming sadder and monosyllabic. Linda felt something was missing in his eyes, green like hers. A light inside them had died.

“I'm saying, he's not well.”

“Linda, you're overreacting.”

“Maybe I am,” she admitted. “But I say we talk to him. We haven't been together with him in a while. Almost two weeks. This, in itself, is already strange.”

“Perhaps you're right. So, dinner?”

“My house, Saturday, at eight. Tell him I don't take no for an answer.”

It took some time to convince Ray to be there on Saturday night. But he came by, and Diefenbaker was one of the most effusive to greet him, as he missed the other male in the pack.

“I hope you like it, Ray,” said Linda. “This dish you never tasted before.”

“Need any help?”, asked her boyfriend.

“No, thank you. Ben, see if Ray wants the wine.”

The Italian was surprised, “Wine? What is the occasion?”

“We are having dinner with our best friend, Ray”, Ben replied. “It's a very special occasion. It means a lot to us.”

Ray was embarrassed, “Sorry, guys. I know I haven't been around much, but now the Moreaux trial has been scheduled, so ...”

Linda said, “Ray, you don't have to justify anything. We are happy to have you here. If you could, you would have been with us more often, we know that.”

Linda got the impression that Ray was even more nervous, as if he were uncomfortable. He petted Dief some more, and changed the subject quickly. Linda did not pursue the matter. During dinner, Ray highly praised Linda's food, and dinner, and wine.

“Hummmmmm .... Linda, you gotta give Ma the recipe.”

“Ray, if you want to take some home, it will help me not to clog the fridge. And I’ll give you the recipe. But I want a favor in return.”

“Sure, Linda. Anything.”

“Can you tell me what has been bothering you so much?”

He went pale, “What you mean?”

“You've been upset for weeks, Ray. And you have not been with us lately. We miss you.”

The Italian was strangely ashamed, and all he said was, “I'm sorry, I'm ... I'm busy. There was this case ... well, you know.”

Fraser nodded, “Yes, we noticed. That’s why we decided not to give you even more pressure than you already had. But you know we will be here for you, don't you?”

Linda's hand reached out to lovingly cover Ray's on the table. He withdrew his quickly, but winced, regretting it immediately.

Fraser noticed that he had never seen Ray this depressed before. Not even when he made that terrible blunder about the murder of Fraser's father, as soon as they met, years ago. Not even in the unfortunate events surrounding Irene Zuko.

“Ray.” Linda insisted, gently, and Fraser recognized the tone of voice she used for patients in the ICU. “We are your friends. We can see your pain. We want to help you.”

He left the table, and avoided his gaze, going to the window and saying, “Everything will be fine, Linda. Just ... give me a break. Then I can ... fix everything.”

“If there is anything Ben and I can do to help,” Linda got up from the table and went to him. “We will be happy to help. You know that.”

She put her hand on his shoulder, gently. The gesture made him tremble violently, and he shouted, sharply, “Do not touch me!”

Linda took a step back, frightened, actually terrified. Ben held her gently, Ray immediately regretted what he had done.

“Oh, God, Linda ... I’m so sorry ... Please ... What did I do? ... I didn't want to scream like that. Please ... forgive me, Linda ...”

She tried to contain her tears, but her voice was breaking, “I didn't mean ... to upset you, Ray ... Sorry.”

Totally quiet until then, Fraser controlled his voice to keep the anger out of him, “Ray, I think you better go. Now.”

“Benny, I ...” Ray started to say, but gave up and sighed, “You're right. It’s best I go.”

“No!” Linda pulled herself out of Fraser's arms and said resolutely, "You are _not_ leaving here. I want an explanation, Ray.”

He couldn't face her, “Sorry, Linda, but I can't explain.”

“Something must have happened, Ray”, she was adamant. “You are a brother to me, and you would never treat me like that. Did I do anything to you? Did Ben bother you?”

“No, Linda, no, of course not. You are both my friends. I'm confused, that's all. It's _my_ problem. You have nothing to do with it. I will have to solve everything myself.”

Fraser wanted to know, “Ray, is that because Linda and I are dating?”

Ray went even paler under the olive skin, “What?”

"You heard me," said Fraser. “Everything was going fine until Linda announced that we were seeing each other. We thought you were upset about the Moreaux case, but that was not it, was it?’

Linda asked, “Is it true, Ray? Don't you approve of us?”

Ray let his shoulders drop in disgust and looked away, unable to face them.

“No, Linda, I don't disapprove of you, okay? But I ... I think I kinda have a crush on you. I've been feeling this way for a long time. I didn't act on it because I was afraid to scare you off. Then I discover that you two have ‘acted’ on it for months ... I felt like a complete idiot. I should be happy for you two, shouldn't I? I mean, I really like you both like family, sometimes more than that. I didn't lie about that. You are my best friends. I kept bothering Benny about women, so he could find one for him, and he goes and finds the best one. You two were made for each other. I really think that. But I feel bad, because I am hurt. I shouldn't be, but I am. I am sorry. I wanted to be a more ... I don't know, more noble man. And a better friend to you, too. Sorry. You guys don’t deserve me. I'm sorry.”

He picked up the Armani jacket and said, “Thanks for the great dinner, Linda. I loved it. Good night.”

Ray left before either of them could stop him. Fraser looked at Linda, who had tears in her eyes and asked, “Go after him, Ben. Your friend needs you.”

He smiled and kissed her passionately, before saying, “I love you.”

“I love you, too. And I love Ray, too. Make sure he knows that I love him as well.”

“I will. Take care of Dief?” She nodded. “I'll call you tomorrow.”

“OK, but hurry!”

Fraser ran, and Diefenbaker went to Linda's feet, yelping. As if guessing he was distressed, too, Linda crouched down and asked the wolf, “Dief, help me. I need to make a decision. I can't do this on my own this time.”

The wolf looked at her, ears alert. He was more than determined to help, but he didn't know how. The problem was that Linda didn't know it either.

*** * ***

The next morning, Linda took Dief to the Consulate very early. Ben had not yet arrived for work, and Constable Turnbull answered it. She was embarrassed.

“Sorry, Constable, but I can't take Diefenbaker to the hospital. Sanitary reasons, you see ...”

Turnbull was very helpful, “Of course you can leave the wolf here, Miss Linda. I will deliver him to the owner in person.”

“I appreciate it, thanks.” She knelt down and petted the animal. “Now be nice, Dief. Don't give Constable Turnbull any trouble.”

The wolf whined a little and she hugged him, trying to contain her tears. “Goodbye, Dief. I will never forget you.” The wolf's ears went up, and she wiped the tears away with her hands, standing up and saying to the Constable. “Thank you very much for your help, Constable Turnbull.”

“No problem, miss.”

“You are very kind.”

"I will ask Constable Fraser to call you as soon as he arrives."

“It won't be necessary, thanks. Have a nice day.”

Linda went straight to the hospital, and spent more time than usual with comatose patients, asking them for advice. But her decision had already been made. It was the only possible one.

*** * ***

That night, Fraser went to the hospital to pick her up and felt something was wrong. Linda was not happy, as usual. The first question she asked him was, “Did Ray come with you?”

“No, he ... he didn't show up at the Consulate.”

“Ah. What a pity.”

“Because?”

“I’d like to see him. We ... we have to talk, Ben.”

“I know. I asked him to–“ He stopped and looked around, looking for something on the street, and then pointed. “Ah, there it is.”

Linda turned her head in the direction Ben was pointing and saw a familiar green Buick Riviera pointing at the curve. Ray was with Diefenbaker.

“Damn wolf didn't leave my case today all day. Come on, I'll give you a ride.”

The ride was totally embarrassing, but when they got to Linda's apartment, she asked, “Ray, could you come up a moment? I have to tell you something.”

“Linda, please don't –“

She interrupted him, and that was something she _never_ did. “Please, Ray. It won't be long. You too, Ben, please.”

Reluctantly, he parked the Riv and climbed up, accompanied by an embarrassed policeman and his wolf. Linda felt a heavy heart, knowing that she would have to do what had to be done.

She offered the two men drinks and said, “I don't know how I'm going to tell you what I need to tell you.”

Ray tried to ease her pain, “Linda, if this is something about what I said last night, then you don't have to ...”

"Ray, I made a decision. Please don’t interrupt me." She raised her voice, and then tears came to her face as the words came out of her mouth. “I always told Benny that I would never interfere in your friendship, and that was why it took us so long to say we were going out. It is something I cannot accept. I will not be the reason to end a friendship as beautiful as yours. And I also realized that I could have fallen in love with you as easily as I fell in love with Ben, Ray. In a way, I don't love you more than I love him, and that's not fair to either of you. So, I think it is better for everybody that I don’t see any of you anymore.”

The shock had the intensity of lightning.

“Linda? Linda, please –“

“Ray, please, don't try to convince me otherwise. It was a very difficult decision to make, but it is done. I will never be happy knowing how you feel about me, or knowing that I have ruined the friendship of two great friends. This is very difficult for me, because ... you are the only friends I have _ever_ had ...” She sobbed. “I will be very sad, but at least you two will still be friends.”

Fraser kept his head down when he heard all that, and didn't even try to react. He did not move, actually. He couldn't believe what he heard. He loved her so much.

Linda turned to him, “Ben, I don't know how to say it. I will always be grateful for everything you did for me. I will never forget you as long as I live. I also want you to know that I love you very much. But I can't be with you knowing how Ray feels. I know that you, too, will never be totally happy if your friend is sad. Ray would pretend that everything is fine just to not hurt us, but eventually the two of you would fight and fall apart. And it would be all my fault. I would hate to be the cause of that. You are a noble and rare soul, Ben. I don't want you to be sad and bitter. Now you can suffer a little, but soon a woman will appear in your life, I'm sure – and a better one, surely. I'm going to suffer, too, but that's the only way, Ben.”

Ray said, “No, Linda, there are other ways. This is wrong. This is all my fault.”

She was crying, but she did not falter, “No, Ray, it's not your fault. Maybe it is nobody’s fault, really. It just happened to us, and we are friends enough to know that this is the logical solution. I expect you to respect my decision. I ask that you do not insist or look for me. I have never been part of your life before, so you will be able to resume the old friendship. Sorry for causing you all this bother.”

Fraser said, an unrecognizable voice, “None of this is your fault, Linda. I don't see why you're doing this.”

"Benny, please," she whimpered, heartbroken. “Don't make it even more difficult than it already is. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this, but I need you two to become friends again, now that I'm out of that equation. Please, Ben, promise me that.”

His response was, “I love you.”

She lowered her head, unable to face him. “I love you too, Ben, but that's not the point here.”

Ray said, “This is ridiculous, Linda. Do you realize that I may never want to see Benny because he made me lose you completely?”

"That is precisely what I am trying to avoid, Ray," said Linda. "If you both lose me, then there is no reason to fight.”

Benton suddenly stood up and said, his voice strangled, “Excuse me, please, I need air.”

And he went out the door. Ray asked, “Did you see what you have done? He's hurt!”

“He needs a friend, Ray”. She begged, her eyes full of pain. “Please be his friend now. Go after him. Hate _me_ , blame _me_ all you want, but please be his friend now. Don't let him isolate himself from people.”

The Italian sighed, “You really love him, don't you?”

"Much more than myself," she said, already in tears.

“Yeah, you proved that.”

So he went after his friend, the wolf following him, too. Linda dropped to her knees on the floor, weeping as she watched the two men in her life leave her for good.


	22. Chapter 22

## Chapter 22

Life wasn't exactly back to what had been before. But everyone noticed that Linda suddenly became pretty sad. Fraser's absence from picking her up after work made coworkers realize that their breakup was a more than obvious conclusion. But there was more than that. She was really depressed, crying when she thought no one was watching. Although she hadn't missed a day's work, it was like she was on another planet. In addition, she hardly spoke to people, not even the patients she considered friends in the ICU. She lost weight quickly, and the large dark bags under her eyes revealed her lack of sleep.

At least, she talked to Dr. Lennyard. But not much. In the first week, she was in total shock, and even missed her appointment. Mrs. Sorelli tried to speak to her. Mrs. Vecchio came to see her, and Linda did not stop crying in her arms. They didn't even talk, because Linda was in no shape at all. Mrs. Vecchio thought it better to just put her to sleep when she got tired of crying.

Linda didn't know what else to think. She had gone to Heaven and was now back in Hell. What could be crueler than that?

At night, she dreamed of Fraser, and woke up almost happily – until she remembered that he was no longer part of her life, and would never be again. She even thought about asking Dr. Lennyard to send her back to the loony bin. The outside world had been very vicious with her, not to mention that she had been openly ridiculed by everyone in the hospital as "the crazy pet". So she thought about being hospitalized again. But then she realized that the pain would not stop and other types of torment would arise, so she decided to stay in the outside world. At least for now. She’d endure it alone.

Little did Linda know that she had never been entirely alone. Unable to just let her go, Fraser followed her every day, from a distance. He decided to wait a while before looking for Ray again – he was too confused to face his friend again. Meanwhile, Fraser would "accompany" Linda every night until she got home. On her weekends and days off, the Mountie was on the prowl. He didn't even know why he did this. But he couldn't stop doing it.

Then there was that fateful night. Probably a Wednesday, although Fraser was so depressed he barely noticed the days.

That night, of all nights, Fraser was without Diefenbaker, who was in the care of his occasional "handler", Willie Lambert. That night, Fraser saw the man approaching Linda, and suddenly she fell into his arms, unconscious. Alarmed, Fraser felt that Linda might be getting mugged or worse, and he ran towards the man, who was already dragging Linda to a car. Fraser did not see a second man behind him. There was a brief fight, a third man got into the altercation, which resulted in a very injured and unconscious Fraser thrown into a dark alley. As for Linda ....

*** * ***

“Where did you say he was found?”

“In an alley, a few blocks from the hospital” Ray replied. “It was near Linda's home.”

"I thought you said they weren't dating anymore," said Inspector Thatcher.

“They weren't, but I hadn't seen him in almost two weeks. I can't say for sure.”

“What did Linda say?”

“Nobody has seen her since she left work two days ago. They could have been together.”

“And the wolf?”

“It was with the neighbor.”

The woman was on the verge of losing patience (never one of her most striking features) with the Italian detective she particularly detested in the entire Chicago Police Department. “Detective Vecchio, can you tell me anything to help clarify a bit the reason why my Constable liaison assistant was found half dead in an alley in Chicago?"

Ray looked at her and said, his voice soft, “He's already out of danger, Meg.”

More than what he said, it was the way he uttered the words that seemed to melt some of the tension in the Inspector, and she sighed, saying, “Thank you, detective.”

*** * ***

For five days, Fraser remained unconscious, although his wounds were healing very well. Ray went to see him as much as he could, meanwhile investigating what had happened. One thing made him nervous: Linda seemed to have vanished into thin air. No one knew where she had gone, why she had left without saying a word or without taking her belongings, without even saying goodbye. Deep inside, Ray trembled every time a body was fished from the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Fraser finally woke up. And confirmed Ray's worst fears: Linda had been taken, she hadn't run away. Apparently she had been kidnapped, although it had been more than eight days and no ransom had been requested. The Mountie felt guilty for what had happened, blamed himself for it, as if he had failed her. Ray tried to cheer him up, saying that they had thought even the worst, because the girl was very depressed and could be on the verge of hurting herself. Fraser's information about the men who took her confirmed that this was not the case. Everyone expected her to hold on (wherever she was) until they could catch the guys who had done this to her. There were many people rooting for her.

Wishing was infinitely easier than doing. Entire weeks passed and they had no clue as to her whereabouts. She might be dead, as far as they knew. Ray became irritable, Fraser became even more introspective. Ma Vecchio tried her best not to lose hope in order not to upset her son. She could feel Ray's suffering. And she also suffered. In addition to liking the girl a lot, she had been practically the last person to have seen Linda, not counting co-workers at the hospital.

It was almost nine weeks before Lieutenant Welsh received a call from his friend, Lieutenant Westrum, from the 21st District. One of Westrum's teams had raided a clandestine brothel from a prostitution ring, and they found a girl matching Linda's description. But the girl had been found practically dead, so Westrum said he hoped it was not the missing girl.

But it was. Ray couldn't believe what he read in the police reports, let alone what the 21st detectives told him. She was kept in a private cell, which explained the deep wounds on her wrists and ankles. For more than two months, Linda had been served literally as a sexual treat for the entire gang and a few special customers. There was physical evidence of mass rape and violent sexual practices. The cell she was in was so hidden that they hardly found it during the raid, and Linda would have been abandoned; she could have starved to death without anyone finding out she was there. The police also said she had no reaction when they released her from captivity.

When Ray found her, she was already in intensive care. Dr. Lennyard had been with her and said that she was still unconscious, the wounds being treated, including the internal ones. Fraser arrived a few minutes later, and had to be contained by two (large) orderlies in order not to invade the intensive care unit. They failed. Nobody managed to stop Fraser. He saw her – he noticed the swollen lips, the pale face, the gooey hair from lack of treatment. There was internal damage, and the gums were bleeding. He was on guard in the ICU for three full days, until she woke up. Well, almost.

Linda was catatonic. Fraser was heartbroken, but he couldn't show her. Anyway, Linda would hardly notice. She was totally isolated from the outside world. Sometimes she kept her eyes closed, to see nothing but her inner world. According to Dr. Lennyard, the prognosis was not good.

In fact, the doctor had made an extraordinary discovery, thanks to the thorough tests ordered by the hospital staff to rule out something more serious with Linda. After retaking the exams three times and having a fight with the hospital directors, Dr. Lennyard asked Fraser bluntly, “How long have you been with her?”

“Pardon me?”

The doctor did not look pleased, “Linda is pregnant. I need to know if there is a chance this is your baby. I also want you to know that I'm considering an abortion.”

Fraser was speechless. He had never imagined anything like this. “But…”

The doctor never let him finish, “In her present condition, she cannot take care of a child. But there is a chance that the baby is yours, Constable, and I would like to know your opinion. You understand, of course, that I have full legal responsibility over Linda.”

The Canadian was barely able to articulate his thinking, “Doctor ... I love Linda. If there is a chance that the baby is a result of that love, I am interested in keeping it. I don't know about the custody request yet, but my first opinion is that it should be born, if it doesn't threaten Linda's life.”

“I see, Constable Fraser”, the doctor nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you for your candor. Please keep in mind that I may consider that it is in Linda’s best interest not to carry this pregnancy to term.”

"Understood," said Fraser, still shocked. "Thank you, doctor.”

Ray arrived shortly after that, and found Fraser quiet and thoughtful. Their friendship had been renewed during the episode. Once again Linda had joined them. They came to the hospital daily, and saw her together. There was no competition – just genuine love.

“Benny, is everything okay?”

“I'm fine, Ray.”

With Benny, it was always a question of asking the right question, and Ray knew it. So he tried again, “Is Linda okay?”

“She's ... pregnant, Ray.”

Ray swallowed, for his throat was dry. “Oh, Benny.”

“The baby can be mine.”

“Do you think it is?”

“It’s a possibility, yes.”

“Do you want it to be yours?”

“I think I do.”

“Benny, whatever you decide, you can count on me. You know that, don't you?”

“Thanks, Ray. But it's not my decision.”

"Well, it can't be Linda's decision," Ray said. "She's not in a position to decide, Benny.

“I'm afraid it's Dr. Lennyard’s decision. He's her legal guardian. And he just told me that he's considering abortion.”

“Abortion?” As a Catholic, Ray was scandalized. “What? And why?”

“It may be the best for Linda's health.”

They were both silent. Ray was still trying to absorb the news. Then he remembered to ask, “Are you okay, Benny?”

“Yes, Ray.”

“You want this baby, don't you?”

“Yes, I would like to have the baby, yes. I would like even more to have Linda's child. But it may not even be worth dreaming about, Ray.”

“Of course it's worth it, Benny. You can be a daddy.” Ray smiled and Benny stared at him, eyes wide. “You may soon have a small baby Fraser around.”

Before Fraser could answer, the nurse left her room at that very moment and said, “You can come in now. Both of you.”

“Thank you kindly.”

They spent a lot of time with her. Ray made sure she had constant company, calling on as many volunteers as she could find. In the district, many would like to go see her, but they became shocked to see Linda's state of total apathy.

Fraser also one spent all the free time he had with her. Dief spent a lot of time in the hospital parking lot. Fraser once managed to smuggle the wolf into her room, hoping to achieve the same effect he had on a previous occasion. He was not lucky this time. Dief licked, drooled and even nibbled on her arm. Linda didn't even blink.

Dr. Lennyard carefully monitored any small progress she had; that was to say, none. The pregnancy apparently progressed well. The problem was that Linda was fed intravenously, and that could be bad for the baby. Still, if an abortion were to be done, it would have to be soon. There was not much time left for a safe procedure.

One night without any particular event, Fraser was alone with Linda, telling an Inuit story and thought he heard a muffled noise. She seemed to moan. Fraser took her hand and it was cold. _Very_ cold. He called the nurse. She was kind to him, but he noticed that she seemed to think he was overreacting. Then she took the patient's hand, and then the pulse. The patient was sweating too. And when the nurse lifted the covers to check the chatheter, she found that there was blood on the bed. A lot of blood.

Linda was getting into shock.

The alarm went off and Fraser had to stand aside while she was taken to ICU again. All he could do was watch, in sheer distress.

*** * ***

Ray arrived as soon as he could when Fraser talked about an emergency surgery. It was about four in the morning.

“How is she?”

Fraser's face was one of pure silent despair. “They still don't know. She was bleeding profusely.”

“What happened?”

“Looks like she was losing the baby. The doctors were going to try to save them. Anyone of the two of them.”

The Italian was disfigured, “She can _die_?”

Blue eyes closed in despair, “Yes, she can, Ray.”

The Italian paled, green eyes bulging. “Oh, my God, Fraser ... My God.” He looked around, agitated. “Where are the doctors? Is there anyone here who can talk to us? How long it will last? Who can say? With whom did you speak? When was that?”

“Ray, stay calm.”

“Stay _calm?!_ Linda is on the throes of death and you want me to calm down, Benny ?!”

“This isn't helping Linda. Let's wait until the procedure is over.”

Reluctantly, the Italian snarled some more, but sat down next to his friend. And he tried to calm himself, repeating, “It'll be all right, Benny. Everything will be fine.”

Two hours later, Ray discovered that things were not going to be okay. Linda had lost the baby and she was going to be in the ICU for some time. And there she stayed, this time without a nurse to talk to her, still in a coma.

After a few days, she was moved to a room. But there was still no sign that she was recovering from her catatonic state. Still, her friends did not give up on her.

On a clear day, they discovered that it had not been in vain.

The nurse was changing the IV when Linda opened her eyes. And for the first time, there was a sign of recognition in them. The nurse took a chance, just so as not to lose the habit, “Hello Linda. Can you hear me, dear?”

The eyes tried to close, the lids fluttering, “Yes...”

“Oh, good. How it feels?”

Linda moved her head ( _She's moving!,_ thought the nurse), looked at the nurse and whimpered, still a little groggy, “I'm tired...”

“Then it might be better to rest some more. Is that OK?”

The girl pulled the covers to her neck and said, sleepily, “’K. ‘Night.”

Then she closed her eyes. The nurse smiled, feeling a small but very present triumph.

*** * ***

Linda looked around when she woke up again, and saw that it was daytime. There she was – alone in a hospital room. She had no idea why she was in a hospital. The IV hurt her wrist. She tried to get up to brush her teeth and get rid of the bad taste, but what a surprise – she fell on the floor off that high bed. She was so startled that she cried out.

A nurse came in and exclaimed, “Oh my God!”

She had to call another nurse to carry Linda back to bed. The girl was embarrassed to her core by giving so much trouble.

“Sorry. My legs ... they couldn't take it.”

The nurse used her patient voice to smile and explain, “It is not unusual to patients who spend a lot of time in bed, like you.”

“Did I spend a lot of time in bed?”

“Yes, you did. Don’t you remember?”

Linda sighed but felt her heart racing, “I don't remember much, to be honest.”

The nurse said, “You were very sick, Linda. In fact, we were hoping that you would tell us what happened to you.”

Linda closed her eyes and then shook her head, vaguely, “Everything is very confusing. I am so sorry.”

With a smile, the nurse adjusted Linda's blankets and said, “It's all right. I'm going to call Dr. Lennyard. Is that fine with you?”

“Good. Tell me: am I in a… hospital? Or is this, you know ... in a clinic or institution for ... for ...”

The nurse realized what she meant and answered, “No, Linda. You’re in a regular hospital. The same one where you work.”

The girl smiled, relieved, and straightened up on the bed while the nurse left. Soon after that, she had a very strange conversation with Dr. Lennyard. He said she had been in the hospital for almost six weeks after being abducted and missing for over two months. She had been found in extremely bad physical and mental condition, and they were afraid of even greater complications. Linda was very surprised to hear all those things, because she didn't remember any of that. In fact, she had a hard time even remembering what was the last thing she remembered.

Soon after, the doctor spoke the magic word: "institution". That left Linda wildly agitated, and she begged the doctor not to take her back to that place, as she would be a good girl, and would do whatever he asked, but please could he not take her back to that place. Dr. Lennyard tried to calm her down and said there was a very small chance that she would return to the institution, but he had not yet made any decision in that regard. Linda continued to plead, and the doctor found her very agitated. He prescribed a sedative.

Therefore, she was asleep when Fraser received the expected news. Dr. Lennyard told the Canadian that she was probably blocking all bad memories and might not even be aware of the pregnancy. So Fraser decided to stay with her all night. Although Linda didn't wake up, she moved a lot during the night. It was morning when she woke up. Her limpid green eyes shone with joy when she recognized the person beside her, but still, she took a chance, as if she were afraid she was seeing a hallucination.

“Ben?”

Blue eyes turned towards her and danced just for her. Linda melted all over the inside.

“Good morning, Linda.”

“Good morning. I didn't know you would be here. I would have tried to wake up earlier.”

“You need to rest. How do you feel?”

"I'm glad you're here, Ben." She smiled, blushed, and looked down. His heart was about to explode. She almost whispered. “I love you.”

He took the hand that twisted the end of the blanket, and said, “I love you too, Linda.”

“They said I have been in the hospital for a long time.”

“It is true. You have been kidnapped. I saw everything.”

“You saw it?”

“There should be three, at least. I tried to stop it, but they hit me a lot. Sorry, Linda. I failed you.”

“You just said there were more of them, Ben. You couldn't have stopped it. Thankfully, nothing more serious has happened to you.”

Fraser did not mention being unconscious for five days. He just asked, “Can you remember any of that?”

“No” She seemed calm. “I don't know what happened to me.”

"Maybe you’d better to rest a little longer." Linda saw that he clearly wanted to change the subject. “Dr. Lennyard said you were quite agitated last night.”

She lowered her head. “He might want to take me back to the institution, Ben. If he does that ...”

He interrupted her gently, “I won't let him do that. I can't lose you, Linda ... not again.”

“Oh, Benny ...”

The lips touched, first hesitantly, then with more passion, more need. Fraser sat on her bed and hugged her while she cried softly in his arms, as she had done so many times before. The medication overwhelmed her and she fell asleep again.


	23. Chapter 23

##  Chapter 23

Linda never thought she could be even happier than when she woke up and found Fraser in her room, but she was. She woke up and found Ray in the room, moving awkwardly in an attempt not to wake her, while arranging a large stuffed animal on the tray near her bed. She was truly moved, a heat warming her chest.

“Ray?”

“Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up.”

“It's all right. I'm glad you woke me up, Ray.”

“I brought you a gift.” He pointed to the stuffed rabbit and smiled. “How are you feeling, girl?”

“Better, Ray, thanks. It is a beautiful rabbit. Thank you for the gift. How is everyone?”

“Good. Ma wants to show up and visit.”

“I'd love that.”

“Fraser said you don’t remember much.”

“Ray, I don't remember anything about what happened. Dr. Lennyard said it could be a trick of my mind. You know, I don't want to remember anything because everything is so painful. So I just block it.”

“Do you think he's right?”

She shrugged, "I don't know, Ray. For me, the most painful thing I had to do was tell you and Ben not to come looking for me again."

Ray's big green eyes became even bigger, “Do you remember this?”

Linda lowered her head, embarrassed, and nodded. “Yes. It was a mistake, Ray. I apologize. I love you so much.”

“Don't worry”, he said (speaking more to himself than to her, he realized). “But if you can remember something as painful as that, then there is no reason not to remember what happened to you.”

“I still have no idea. Nobody tells me about anything, Ray. Even Ben thought it would be better for me to rest than trying to find out.”

Ray looked at her, his eyes shining differently. He said, “It was really bad, Linda. Are you sure you want to know without first trying to remember for yourself?”

“Ray, I'm sure I can take it.”

“If you say so, I believe it. But the truth is, we don't know exactly what happened to you. All we know is that you were found in a clandestine brothel. She was malnourished, injured and in shock. There was evidence of rape and collective rape. The investigations are not over yet, and some think you could serve as a witness. After what happened in the Moreaux case, there was not a single person who did not want to help, Linda. Everyone in the district was rooting for you.”

Linda didn't squirm, didn't blink, didn't even react. Ray became uneasy, but she soon sighed and shrugged, “I don't remember any of that, Ray, I'm sorry. I would like to help with your ... investigation.”

“It's not your fault. The case is not even with us. But that is not all. There is more.”

“More?”

Ray looked nervous, or ashamed, “There was something else... I suppose you should know that, too.”

“What is it, Ray?”

“You were pregnant.”

She waited for him to continue, and he didn't. She couldn't believe it.

“No, I'm not pregnant.”

“No, you're not, but you _were_ pregnant. There was a chance that the baby was from Fraser, and he wanted it, even if you didn't. But then you lost the baby. Naturally, you know? It was some sort of complication. Anyway, we are happy that you survived. It was a close call.”

Linda was quiet for a long time. “Ray, I ... still don't know what to say, I ... Was it Fraser's baby?”

“We don't know, Linda. It could have been the result of your rape.”

“Could I be a mother now?”

“Yes, Linda.”

“But then I lost the baby, was that it?” He nodded. “How did I lose it?”

“The doctors said it was a miscarriage, a natural abortion. The child did not survive. It was too small. And you almost died, too.”

She nodded, and looked to the side. It stood still for a long time. Then she called, her voice strange, “Ray?”

Ray was so moved that he jumped to her side, taking her hand. “Yes, sweetheart. I'm here.”

“Please, Ray ... Hold me.”

He obeyed, a pain squeezing his heart. Linda knew she didn't cry because she had lost her baby, she just needed the touch, the support, the love. In that love, she could no longer resist and fell asleep, between sobs. Ray left her to rest – he had plans to spend the night there, for Fraser to get some sleep. Now that she was conscious, they had agreed that someone would always be with her – including nighttime.

The decision proved to be the right one. That was the first night Linda woke up screaming. Ray was there to calm her down.

“Shh. Okay, Linda, it's okay.”

The girl was restless and almost hysterical, “I remember, Ray, I remember!”

He tried to contain her, “Easy, Linda. What do you mean, remember?”

“I remember I was going home ... And then a man ...! A man ... appeared ... I couldn't breathe ...! I wanted to break free !!”

“Where?”

“In the street...! It was at night! ... He put something on my nose! ... And then he held me, Ray !!!”

“That's how they took you, Linda. Now think about it, Linda: have you seen him?”

“No, he came from behind ... grabbed me by the neck ...! I never saw his face!”

“Do you remember anything else? What else do you remember?”

Linda closed her eyes and said, panting, “I remember everything ... Everything, Ray ... Every little thing ...”

And then she couldn't speak any more, because she was sobbing so much that it attracted the nurses' attention, and she clung to Ray, weeping. Ray was forced to leave the room while Linda was sedated, by Dr. Lennyard's orders. Ray was very afraid that Linda would no longer want to wake up and revert to the catatonic state. But more than that, Ray didn't want to be forced to tell Fraser what had happened.

The day dawned and Ray called the district, warning that he had taken the day off to be with Linda, as she had started to remember things and could help with the investigation. Welsh warned him that, even though they liked Linda a lot, they were still cops, and they couldn't play "That's your life." Ray insisted that this could provide good leads, and the lieutenant granted the day outside the district.

The worst problems came from where Ray least expected: Dr. Lennyard.

“She can't answer your questions, detective.”

“I want to catch the people who did this to her, sir, right?”

“I can't allow it. I already have enough work trying to fix the damage you've done by telling her what happened.”

“I was trying to help!” Ray was exasperated.

“She can go back to the previous stage, detective. I was trying to avoid this.”

“Me too.”

Dr. Lennyard lowered his voice and ground his teeth as he threatened, “Don't push me. You know I can forbid you to see her.”

But Ray was not so easily intimidated. “I know she wants me here. She wants me here and she wants Fraser here, and I will be here, even if I have to get an injunction order for that!”

The sparkle in Ray's eyes was unmistakable. However, Dr. Lennyard also did not budge.

“If she returns to that state, I will hold you personally responsible and I will sue the entire Chicago Police Department.”

“In that case, we'll see you at court, doctor!”

The doctor turned and left, and Ray thought it would be best to prepare for what was to come. He dialed the district attorney’s office.

*** * ***

Linda opened her eyes and looked around the hospital room. This time she was alone. She felt more sedated and morose, it was harder to get up. She remembered everything that had happened. She was very sad.

But there were still things to do. Sighing, she tried to move her legs. It seemed to work. She risked sitting up and then getting up, always using the safety of the bed to cling. It would be great if she could go to the bathroom. Those bedpans were very uncomfortable objects.

Slowly, with much effort, she reached the bathroom. When she was going back to bed, she realized it had been too much effort. And she had no way of calling anyone. She felt the world revolve around her, and she held on for as long as she could at the bathroom door.

Just as Linda imagined she was going to crash on the bedroom floor, a nurse entered the room. The girl barely had time to ask, trying to hold on. “Help...”

Linda's world still spun a little, but managed to remain more stable after she was back in bed. She was ashamed.

“I am so sorry.”

The nurse said, “No need to apologize. In fact, you should try to walk more. But you need to have someone with you. I'm going to talk to our physiotherapist, and she'll help you, okay?”

“Great. Thank you.”

“Do you need anything?”

“Could you get me some water, please?”

“Sure.”

The door opened when she was drinking the water and Dr. Lennyard entered, “So how's my patient feeling now?”

"Tired," admitted Linda. “I tried to walk. I almost fell.”

With a look, the doctor asked the nurse for information, who reported the entire incident. He listened carefully to the story and said, when the nurse left the two alone, “You look more rested and more energized, Linda. Now I need to talk to you about something unpleasant. You need to give a statement to the police.”

Linda nodded, but remained silent and looked at her lap. The doctor said, “I can tell them that you're not medically disposed to do that yet. But you will need to do this sooner or later. It just doesn't have to be now.”

“But if I do it now, they can catch these guys faster, right?”

The doctor agreed. Linda lowered her head and said, “I'll do it now. But… I ...”

“What is it, Linda?”

“I wish Ben or Ray were with me.”

"I'm sure it can be fixed," Dr. Lennyard smiled. "You really are a very brave girl, Linda.”

“Thank you, doctor. Can you tell me about my job?”

“What about it?”

“I was gone for a long time. Have I been fired?”

“No, you were on sick leave. But it was unpaid, so there is no remuneration. Look, I'm going to talk to your boss, Mrs. Sorelli, and I'll see what she says, okay?”

“Thanks.”

The doctor approached her and carefully asked, “Linda, would you like to tell me about what happened?”

She remained with her head down, but showed no significant reaction. “It's OK.”

“Do you remember what happened?”

“Yes. But I don't understand.”

“What do you mean, Linda?”

“I never knew who did it, or why. I didn't know why I was being punished. In fact, I still don't know.”

“Linda, you were not being punished. You haven't done anything wrong. Believe me.”

“Then I don't understand anything, doctor”. The girl was genuinely intrigued. “Why did they do those things to me?”

“We don't know, Linda. Maybe the police can find out.”

“But the police need my help.”

“Yes, they do. Look, how about I let you eat your lunch now?”

“Good.” She smiled, shyly. “I'm hungry.”

So she ate. Linda was thinking about what Dr. Lennyard had said, when there was a polite knock on the door and she knew it was Fraser. Her smile was sincere and made the Mountie’s heart melt inside.

“Ben ...”

“I'm glad you're eating.”

“I was hungry. Do you want some?”

“No, thank you. I ate before I left the Consulate. How do you feel?”

“Better, thank you. Why don't you sit down?”

“Linda, I can't stay. I just came to leave a message for Dr. Lennyard.”

The disappointment on her face was almost palpable because it was so visible. Fraser's heart sank.

“Do you have a message?”

“Ray asked to tell him that everything was being arranged so that someone from the district attorney's office comes to take your testimony tomorrow afternoon.”

“So soon?”

“The sooner, the better. Then Dr. Lennyard can make his own schedule himself, if he wants to be here with you.”

“Oh, that's good. Are you coming too?”

“I cannot. I have to work.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Linda did not say, but Fraser felt that she wanted him to be present.

“Look, I'll be back at night, okay?”

“Sure. I miss Diefenbaker, Ben.”

“He can't come in. I am sorry.”

“I know, it’s just that I miss him so much. Can you tell him?”

“Of course. He misses you very much as well.”

“What a lovely little wolf.”

“I better go now.”

“Bye, Ben.”

“I'll be back, Linda.”

“I appreciate it.”

Fraser smiled before he left and Linda felt her heart quicken just looking at that smile. The things she was thinking at the time were not appropriate for a girl, so she blushed. But if they were going out, and dating, it didn't hurt that she thought those things, did it? The desire to make love to Fraser gave her more strength to try to walk faster.

Other doctors came to see her that day, and she was very courteous to them, as she always was to strangers. They seemed satisfied with her progress. Then she met the nice lady from physiotherapy and took a nap afterwards. Just half an hour later, she heard a soft knock on the door.

“Hey, girl.”

She tried to sit up, “Ray ... Come in.”

“I woke you up again. I am sorry.”

“No, it’s all right. If I sleep during the day, I won't sleep well at night.”

A young, well-dressed woman, with a leather case in hand, followed Ray into the room and he introduced her, “Linda, this is Miss St-Laurent. She is from the district attorney’s office, and she will take your testimony.”

Linda was polite to her, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

The elegant lady shook Linda's hand and said, “It's my pleasure, Linda. I am sorry for everything that happened to you, and I can assure you that we will do our best to catch the people who did this to you.”

Linda said, “Thanks.”

Ray announced, “I'll get your doctor, Linda. He made a point of being present.”

The procedure itself only started when Dr. Lennyard arrived in the room and made it clear to Linda that she could refuse to speak to those people. The girl said everything was fine, and she felt something about Ray, some kind of hostility towards the doctor.

“Well,” Miss Saint-Laurent caught her attention, “perhaps you would like to start by telling us more about your abduction.”

“I was going home after work,” Linda started. “It was night, or at least it was dark. I was going to the El station. It happened really fast. I didn't see the car stopping or anything. I was grabbed from behind in the middle of the street, and I guess they dragged me to a car, but then I didn't see anything else.”

Saint-Laurent concluded, “So they drugged you.”

The girl confirmed, “I think so. Then I remember a sting in my hand. It may have been a needle.”

The prosecutor encouraged her to move on, “And then what happened?”

Linda closed her eyes and sighed deeply. It was the most difficult time. The memories were still very fresh and painful. Very tender, too.


	24. Chapter 24

## Chapter 24

_* When Linda returned to any kind of sense, she knew she was naked, tied with soft straps, legs and arms tied to a bed, her eyes covered. There was a terrible sense of danger hanging in the air, and she wished Benny could come and save her. Then she remembered that they were no longer lovers and he might not want to save her. The thought that Benny might be angry with her shattered her inside._

_The door opened, distracting her. Firm footsteps sounded across the wooden floor and she called out, “Hello?”_

_There was a little noise on the bed and then strong male lips met hers, effectively silencing her words. A tongue entered her mouth, exploring it thoroughly. Big, manly hands caressed her small ones, while the tongue curled in her mouth, capturing her own with great sensual talent._

_The bed shifted again and the tongue and hands ceased all contact with Linda. She was still trying to catch her breath when the contact resumed. The tongue languidly caressed the inside of the girl's thighs, moving upwards until it was in contact with her sex, the moist core of her femininity. Linda squirmed and moaned at the wet, hot, sensual touch that didn't stop until she couldn't think anymore and she climaxed with a loud groan. Then, when she was panting, the man kissed her firm belly, stroked her breasts and then left._

_Linda cried and fell asleep, tired._

_The next day, when the door opened, Linda tried to ask the man where she was and why she was there. The tongue entered her mouth again, and she couldn't resist. Then her mouth was filled with something hot, long and hard, and Linda realized it was the man's penis. She almost choked when she realized what was in her mouth. The tongue reappeared between her spread legs, right in Linda's wetness. The girl moaned even with her mouth full, and as the tongue worked the right spots, Linda exploded in the man's mouth. And soon after, he filled her throat with hot, fresh semen._

_The man got out of bed, then kissed her hand ceremoniously, “Thank you”._

_Linda turned her head in disgust. Had the velvet blindfold allowed, they would have seen the tears in her eyes. How she wanted Ben to be there! ..._

_She received water and food, although she was not released from the velvet bonds. She could also use a bedpan for her needs. A soft, sensual sponge cleansed her body, a comb left her hair in place again. Her teeth were brushed and shortly after that, the penis was inside her mouth and the tongue in her vagina. But this time, his hips were lifted and a second penis was in her anus. Linda tried to scream in pain and fear, but her mouth was full and the screams were muffled, but her hair was gently stroked. At the same time, she was crying convulsively, trying to suck the man's organ. When it was over, the semen was left to dry on Linda's skin, the smell entering her nostrils, and she tried to sleep, but was sobbing too much._

Where are you, Ben? Please, come. Even as a friend. Help me.

_Linda was raped at least three times a day, in every way imaginable. She was never released for meals, they fed her in bed, in bondage. The routine also included bathing with sponge and flavored oils. After a week, they let her use the bathroom, but she was chained to it. She also did physical exercises that helped not to atrophy the body. But all her questions were ignored._

_Once she tried to raise the ever-present blindfold, and her hands were tied over her head for an entire day as a punishment. She had to perform all of her "duties" while sitting, which was much more painful._

_Linda also noticed that although at first only one man abused her, now she had to accommodate at least three men at the same time. They would take turns taking her vagina while she sucked and manipulated the other two at the same time. Or she would suck one while the other two would double penetrate her. The combinations varied widely._

_After about 20 days, Linda was thinking less about the rescue, she wasn't even crying so much. Maybe they would let her go, if she was good. If all they wanted was sex, then sex she would give them. So sex was pretty much everything she did. All the time._

_During meals, someone would stick her fingers into sex, and while she was showering, a man would lie under her in slow anal intercourse. She knew that while her hair was combed, a mouth caressed her vagina. During physical exercises, then, there were many opportunities for her "keepers" to enjoy her. At least two at the same time. Not even when she slept, she was left alone. In the middle of the night (or at least in her best sleep), the door could open for a man to fuck her abruptly or slowly. It happened almost every night._

_Living in a world of shadows, Linda saw nothing. She felt, more than she knew, a lot about that strange new world. No one spoke to her, although occasionally one of the men would scream when orgasming over her body. Sometimes she also heard sounds or words of appreciation while sucking on a penis. But nothing to help the investigation._

_The waking hours became longer, and Linda grew tired. She was supposed to satisfy more and more men, and they would position themselves wildly inside her vagina, and her mouth was forced to accept and suck male organs, to swallow the semen. After a while, the hands that roamed her body, the sperm left to dry on her thighs, nothing made any sense to her. It was sheer loneliness. She only consoled herself because she knew that, whoever those people were, they wouldn't hurt her. No, they wouldn't hurt her. But that was no longer a consolation._

_She became weak and started to eat little. She barely participated in orgiastic sessions, just letting them enjoy it. She refused to suck a penis. She cried while they fucked her. Ben returned to his thoughts. Men licked, caressed, kissed her breasts and once she heard a plea._

_“Please...”_

_They wanted her back in action._

_There was a strange taste in her mouth, and if she could see it, she would know it was blood from her gums. She would also see the huge dark circles under her eyes. The lack of sunshine and healthy food was beginning to affect her health._

_One day Linda woke up to strange sounds, sounds she had never heard in that strange world. Doors slammed, screams. It could be shots too._

_Maybe it was the police, or someone who could save her._

_The voices seemed closer._

_“Hey, Don, there seems to be a door here._

_Her door squeaked. Then she heard a strong intake of breath and a whispered exclamation, “Oh my God.”_

_Linda felt the velvet strings being removed, and the blindfold, too. She couldn't see, her eyes seemed unable to withstand even the darkness of that room. The policemen said something to her, covered her with a blanket and removed her, on his lap. Linda had her eyes closed and went back to darkness._

_The outside world would have to wait for her a little bit longer._

*** * ***

Ray didn't say anything, but he started to feel his stomach churn at the words Linda said so naturally. He just held her hand and gave her tissues when she cried too much. Ray felt his Italian blood boiling with anger at everything that had been done to her.

When the lady from the DA's office was gone, Ray stayed with Linda. She said, lying down and with a sad smile, “You know, Ray, what happened to me wasn't all bad.”

The Italian had to control himself before saying, “Linda, I know it could have been much worse. And that you could have died. But you have to face it: it was very bad.”

“It was really bad when I felt alone. I don't want to feel like this ever again, Ray.” Tears filled her eyes and her voice was broken. “ _That_ is really bad.”

Ray kissed her forehead, stroked her hair and said, “I promise you will never feel that way again. I won't let that happen.”

She smiled. “I know you won't let me, Ray. I really appreciate it.”

He kissed her forehead again. “I think you better try to get some rest. Want something to eat?”

“No thank you. I'll try to sleep.”

“Good girl.” He tucked her in and made sure she was comfortable. “I'll be right here, okay? If you need anything, you can call me.”

“Thank you, Ray.”

That was indeed a Vecchio night. Not just because of Ray, but because everyone else in the family came to visit to Linda. It was a surprise even for Ray. Mrs. Vecchio brought food, Francesca, a make-up kit ("This way you will be beautiful when Benton comes," she said), Maria brought flowers and Tony brought Maria. Linda almost wept with so much affection. She promised Mrs. Vecchio to eat well and do everything the doctor said, so she could be released as soon as possible.

When Fraser got to the room, he almost thought he was at the wrong room. It was so loud and so full of life. Linda's eyes sparkled when he looked at her, and when she spotted him, they almost fell apart in green puddles of love. Fraser also felt himself swelling with love.

Ray pulled him out of all that noise into the hall, “Hi, Benny.”

“Hello, Ray. It looks like your family decided to pay Linda a visit.”

Ray shrugged. “You know them, Benny. When they come to visit, they do visit.”

“Indeed. Maybe I better come back later.”

“No, don't go. Linda would be devastated.”

“She looks happy with all the visits.”

Ray winced and said, bitterly, “Benny, she had a hard time. I had no idea.”

Fraser felt his friend's discomfort and asked, “Ray, do you know what happened? Did she say anything?”

“She testified this afternoon, Benny. She said everything that happened to her in those months that she went missing. I heard everything.”

The Canadian felt his stomach tighten.

“Is she okay?”

“I think the visits will help her.”

“I want to be with her, Ray.”

“This will help even more.”

The two friends smiled and went back inside the hospital room, where Fraser spent the night. At dawn, while Linda slept, Fraser sneaked out on a predetermined route near the hospital parking lot. He quickly returned to the room, followed by a shadow that sneaked in the room. A white wolf shadow.

“Dief? Dief, is that really you?” Linda couldn't believe the wolf had woken her up. “Oh, Diefenbaker, I'm so happy to see you ...!”

Fraser said, “He forced me to bring him. I wouldn't take "no" for an answer.”

“Oh, my dear sweetheart.” Dief licked her face, and she giggled, the kind of sound Fraser loved. “I missed you a lot, you know? Ben, can he stay a while?”

“Diefenbaker knows he can't stay long. But I think we can risk staying until dawn.”

Linda hugged Diefenbaker and smiled, letting the half lupine canine share her bed. In just under half an hour, she was asleep again, wrapped in a blanket of white fur, and Fraser was happy to please her. Diefenbaker also sighed, content.

From then on, Linda progressed in physical therapy and walked every day, even though at first she was exhausted. Fraser's presence helped her a lot. Ray's mother also insisted on being with her so that Ray and Fraser could rest. Linda also received a visit from Mrs. Sorelli, and it delighted her. She asked about the patients, the nurses, the cleaning crew and the security personnel. Mrs. Sorelli inquired about her and Fraser, making Linda blush. Fraser seemed happy with her progress and so did Dr. Lennyard. As soon as Linda could walk by herself, she should go home. The prospect pleased her immensely.

It was early one morning when Fraser entered the room. Linda was not in bed. She was standing by the window, her face facing the rising sun. But there were tears on her cheeks, so she was probably not even watching the sun rise.

Fraser dropped the Stetson in his hands and hugged her from behind.

“Linda, what happened?”

She threw herself in his arms, sobbing softly, wetting the red twill tunic. Linda could hardly reply, “I ... am so ... scared ...”

"Shhh," said Fraser, stroking his hair. “I'm here. Nothing is going to happen.”

Linda was clinging to him as if her life depended on it. Half crying, half dizzy, still sobbing, she managed to say, “I love you, Ben. I love you so much… And that’s why I may have to give you up. But I don't want to do that.”

Ben didn't understand what she was saying.

“I don’t understand.”

“I,” she tried to say, “I don't know what to do ... I've been having these ... feelings ... about you.”

“Feelings?”

She went as red as a ruby. “Feelings, you know. I have wishes for you. You know I have.”

Fraser tried to keep the same color, without success, but the voice came out normal, “Yes. I have those for you, too, you know.”

“So it means that if I'm sick, I can never have you again,” she said, determined and so sad it broke Fraser’s heart. “I don't want you to be sick as well.”

“What do you mean, sick?”

“You know, AIDS. I was used, and I don't remember anyone even mentioning a condom. They may have managed to win at the end, after all.”

“You don't know that yet," said Fraser. "The results have not yet come.”

“No, but there is a very good chance that this will happen. If it happens, I will ask Dr. Lennyard to put me back in the institution. It will be easier for you that way. Maybe for me too. There may be some medication that stops ...” The tears returned “this pain I am feeling. The pain of losing you.”

Fraser took Linda's face in both hands and said, determined. “Linda, listen to me, and listen well: you will _not_ lose me, even if you have AIDS. I don't want you locked up in any clinic, away from me. If you are infected, I want to fight this disease together with you. You see? Our love will make a difference; I know it will.”

The girl curled up in Fraser's body with such gratitude, trembling. He lifted her off the floor, picking her up by the knees and taking her to the hospital bed. The proximity of her body next to hers triggered every response they had. They didn't even kiss, but they were already feeling each other's heat, panting. Fraser let her go slowly.

“See what I mean?” He whispered huskily. “There is no way I can be away from you, Linda.”

Before Linda could respond, he kissed her deeply, making her shiver with pure desire. She wanted more, Fraser too, but only one kiss would have to be enough for now.

A few days later, Fraser arrived at the hospital in the evening. He didn't come straight from the consulate. Upon entering Linda's room, he announced. “Linda, I have good news and I have bad news.”

“And which is which?”

“The good news is that your test results have arrived. The results were negative.”

"Tests," she repeated, and there was doubt in her green eyes. “What tests?

“AIDS exams. I brought them from the lab. All the sexually transmitted diseases they tested came back negative, my love.”

Linda was so happy and relieved that she could barely react. Then she remembered, “And the bad news?”

“The bad news is” he smirked “I will want you soon.”

Linda blushed. She also wanted Fraser. The Canadian approached her and hugged her gently. The girl felt such protection and affection that she did not want to leave those arms.

Nobody said anything about discharging her. Fraser felt that it would not stop him. For the first time, he would pay no attention to authority.


	25. Chapter 25

## Chapter 25

It was a quiet night, Ray's turn to sleep at home and take care of Diefenbaker. Still at the hospital, Linda was having trouble to sleep. Then she sat up, frustrated. Her night companion, Fraser, looked at her with a question on his face and she sighed, shrugging and explaining, “I cannot sleep.”

Fraser asked, “Would you like to take a walk down the hall?”

“That might help, yes.”

Fraser put an arm under Linda’s and helped her out of bed. Their eyes met. It was a moment. A long moment. Time stopped. Before they knew it, they were kissing hungrily, hands stroking, both falling on the bed without tearing each other's lips, without registering in their minds full of desire that they were in a hospital, just feeling each other.

Linda felt Fraser trembling in her arms, their hands clumsily trying to open the hospital gown as they tried to settle on the narrow metal bed. She received him in her arms, on her body, when his lips touched her breasts; and she almost lost her breath when his tongue left a hot, moist trail on her abdomen. She knew what she wanted.

Without asking, without thinking, Linda removed his belt and unzipped Fraser's jeans, releasing his desire, already stiff and proud. Suddenly, she remembered that it was very rude to just go and get what she wanted, so she lifted her head, her mouth just inches from the pulsing flesh, and she asked:

“Ben ... may I ..? Please ... may I ...?”

Fraser did not know where he had found a voice to whisper, “Please...!”

She dipped her head, and he had to use a lot of control not to make use her mouth. But Linda used all the techniques she could remember, just to drive him crazy. She used her tongue to lick and stroke then she nibbled and sucked, while her hands caressed the rigid spheres, the pair of small balls she liked so much. Fraser could feel an orgasm coming fast, growing, and in seconds he exploded with a silent scream.

Linda quickly wiped his body clean with her tongue, then kissed the flaccid organ lovingly, and was graced with loving arms that took her. Fraser was still trying to catch his breath and Linda was already giving him, with great affection, small kisses all over her face and neck, trying to say as she continuously kissed him.

“I ... love ... you ... Ben ... And I always will ...”

He smiled and said, “That was my line to say. And now, what am I going to say?”

“Say you love me too.”

“You know I do.”

“Yes, I know, but ...”

He grabbed her wrists and looked into the green eyes that looked at him nervously before he reassured her, “I'm kidding, Linda. Of course I love you. Forever. Never forget that.”

Linda trembled when she felt how serious he was. She kissed him passionately, and then rested her head on his broad, smooth chest. She finally had the courage to ask, “Ben ... can I ask you a question?”

“Of course you can.”

“Were you upset with me for not having our baby?”

The question took Fraser completely by surprise. He tried to look at her face, but Linda kept her head down. Carefully, he asked, “Linda, what makes you ask such a question?”

“Well ... I thought about it a lot,” she shrugged. “I didn't have the courage to ask. But I need to know.”

“Don't think about it anymore. I am not upset with you for any reason.”

Linda asked, “So are we cool?”

Fraser sighed and said, in a sincere and open manner, “Linda, I'm very glad you're here, because you almost died on that occasion. The doctors told me that they would try to do their best to save your life, and I was very afraid to lose you. That's all I think about.”

The girl kissed the tip of his nose and said, solemnly, “Well, in that case, I'll do my best so that you never lose me.”

They kissed and stuck together, not even caring that the next nurse check was coming in a few hours. They could stay like this forever.

*** * ***

Linda's discharge was preceded by many events. Dr. Lennyard insisted that she recover fully in the hospital. Mrs. Vecchio drafted the clan to clean Linda's apartment and throw away all the food that had gone bad in the refrigerator. Then, of course, she replaced it all. It was her way of being nice to her _bambina_.

Mrs. Sorelli had everything ready for her to get back to work. She was so nervous. But everything ended up going very well. The nurses prepare a small welcome party, and the security staff gave her a beautiful white blouse as a gift.

That same night, Linda celebrated the real celebration, the way she most wanted it: at home, with Ray, Fraser and Diefenbaker. She made dinner, Ray brought dessert, and Diefenbaker was happy to taste the meatloaf Linda had prepared. The night was very pleasant, and Ray went home. When the two finally found themselves alone, Fraser placed Linda in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Diefenbaker knew he was supposed to be in his corner in the kitchen all night.

Linda was lovingly deposited on her bed while she was kissed. Even though she could feel her heart hammering in her chest with such emotion, she tried to move smoothly. She wanted to linger, to savor the occasion. She had waited so long for that moment.

On the other hand, Fraser seemed to have other ideas. His hands seemed to be all over her body, removing her clothes in a rueful manner, and as her skin was being stripped, his mouth wanted to taste every single exposed part. It was igniting her desire more than she imagined, and she started to impatiently unbutton his shirt. Shoes, socks, pants – in minutes they were both in their underwear, hands caressing skin, breath indicating that they were both ready.

They were entwined face to face, and Fraser opened her bra at the same time that his head dipped down to lodge itself between Linda's breasts. So delicate, so powerful. The bra was thrown away in no time. His mouth gently grabbed one breast, then the other, his tongue dancing on her nipples. Linda felt a lightning bolt in her lower abdomen and put her hands on Fraser's cheeks, lifting his head up to kiss his lips wildly, her tongue penetrating his mouth. And then her tongue roamed through his body, trying to mark his love on the white Canadian skin, imprinting it, saturating it. Fraser felt his desire swell as Linda's mouth traveled to the southernmost parts of the Canadian body.

As if deciding to punish him, Linda went slowly in caresses to the most intimate parts of her lover. First, she used her index finger to delicately trace the contours of the two perfect spheres, making Fraser squirm. Then she licked them. Then she captured them with her mouth and sucked them until Fraser started to desperately moan.

Linda decided it was time to kiss his inner thigh and blow lightly on the swollen penis. The sensation of fresh air on warm skin made Fraser jump. Linda's mouth started to go everywhere at once, except the place Fraser most wanted. He continued to moan, helpless.

Finally, taking pity on her lover, Linda slowly licked the entire length of the organ. Her tongue ran up and down the column, and she had to use her hands to stop Fraser's hips. She had never seen Fraser this big or this stiff before. She used her tongue to wander around that area, eliciting moans of pleasure from lovers, while the tip of her tongue gave loving lashes to the swollen penile head.

Taking it in her mouth was sacred, and Linda always did it with an acute sense of reverence and respect. At that moment, Fraser was so big that she could only partially do it. At the same time that she sucked, in an almost ritual way, she massaged the two perfect spheres. Fraser felt it would not last long.

That was why he suddenly grabbed her shoulders, lifting her until their mouths met and throwing her on the bed to penetrate her with the flair of a conqueror, claiming her with her property. Linda shrieked when she was breached, stretching her whole body backwards, and Fraser grabbed her around the waist to fill her with his column firmly erect. And he rode her as his master, and Linda loved the way her body bucked with pleasure, and she felt like she was going to scream. She ended up screaming but it came out low, when her body exploded with pleasure as Fraser poured his seed into her.

Linda felt her body respond long after Fraser started kissing her neck. She moved and was totally embarrassed, “Sorry… I think ... I passed out.”

“Wow.” He smiled “I hope it was worth it.”

"It was quite worth it, yes." She smiled, flushing. “I love you, Ben. No one has been this good to me before.”

“I love you too, Linda.” He kissed her neck tenderly. “All of you. You are so... sexy ... so attractive. I could make love to you for days.”

She blushed even more, “Are you really serious about that?”

“About wanting to spend days making love to you? Of course.”

Linda laughed softly - a sound that Fraser loved - before saying, “No, I mean ... do you think I'm sexy?”

“Very sexy.” He stroked her delicate jaw. “And you are also ... very talented.”

“You make me flush with embarrassment.”

“And you make me lose control. There is something you do ... You really have a lot of talent, as I said. I .. sometimes ... I have an impulse ...”

She felt that he was embarrassed for what he was about to say, so she asked, “Ben, is there anything special you like? You can say, you know you can. I would do anything for you. Anything.”

“I know you would. You really would do _anything_. It scares me. I must maintain control. I still can't believe you're mine, Linda.”

She cuddled up in his arms like a cat and purred, “Um, you are very kind. I love you so much that all I want to do is give you pleasure. I think I could do that for days, yes. But only if it was with you. And I’d do it again, and again.”

Fraser smiled and kissed her passionately.

“I know you have been hurt badly, Linda. I want to take that pain away from you, until you can't even remember it. I will do anything to make this pain go away. Believe me.”

Linda just hugged this man that she found more and more wonderful, too moved to answer. All she could do was quietly try to contain the tears of joy at having her lover in her arms at that moment, and the promises of no more pain.

*** * ***

It was a very cold Friday evening when the green Buick Riviera pulled into the hospital parking lot and Linda got into the back seat, saying, “Hi people. Dief, get over there, okay?”

Fraser smiled and Ray said, starting the Riv, “Linda, we just have to make a quick stop at Santa Fortunata school. Then we can go to Mario's restaurant, is that okay?”

“Everything's fine with me, Ray. I'm not that hungry.”

Fraser asked the girl, “Busy day?”

“Yes” said Linda. “But I like days like this. They make me feel useful.”

Ray said, “It's how I feel about this thing with Sister Ann. But it won't slow us down. It's a quick stop, then we'll split.”

The Canadian repeated, “ _It's a quick stop, then we will split?_ ”

Linda explained, “Ray means we won't be staying there for long, Ben.”

“I had deduced something like that, Linda, it's just that –“

“I know, it’s a matter of grammar," interrupted Ray, rolling his eyes to the roof of the car. "But it's a Chicago thing, Benny. I thought you would be used to the lingo by now.”

“I don't know if I'll ever get used to it.”

The Chicago drizzle was still pouring as they arrived quickly at school, where Ray's friend, Sister Ann, was introduced to Linda and then explained her problem. She needed help in an underused part of the school they recently found in the underground, a chance finding by a janitor.

“We found this section underground”, the nun explained, guiding them with flashlights into the bowels of the school, “and now we can have something of value here, but we didn't know if we should call someone from City Hall. It may have some historical value for the city.”

Fraser looked around and said, “Sister Ann may be right, Ray. But I'm not sure about the security of this complex.”

Linda said, as Diefenbaker ran everywhere in the dark, “It seems to be so exciting. Are you sure this is more than 50 years old?”

The nun replied, appointing, “That part over there is certainly older than the school itself.” She used the flashlight. “And the sisters are afraid to open that other part. It seems unstable.”

Ray commented, as Fraser pushed himself into the darker part of the stone underground, “It may not be safe, as Fraser said. There may be gases contained within, unstable gases. I would recommend consulting a –“

He couldn't finish the sentence. Somewhere in the darker area of that place, part of the structure fell, the noise scaring the women. Ray tried to protect them both and asked, when the dust settled, “Is everyone okay?”

“Yes we are well.”

"And that concludes our experiments for the night," decided the detective. “Let's go.”

Fraser said, “Ray, take Linda and Sister Ann out now. This looks like everything down here is about to fall.”

Linda asked, “Ben, how about you?”

“We don't have time for that, Linda. Go!”

Ray grabbed both women's hands and the three ran through the old school's underground area until they returned to the freezing Chicago night. Sister Ann sighed as she passed the entrance and found herself in fresh air again, “Oh, it feels so good to get out of all that dust.”

Linda turned to where she had come from and asked, “What about Ben?”

The very second she uttered those words, a loud noise came from inside the tunnels, denouncing the fall of the entire structure and creating an immense cloud of dust that made Linda impulsively cringe. After everything was calm, the three looked at each other, none of them wanting to say out loud what they were thinking. But everyone knew. Fraser had not left. He could be hurt.

Ray just said, “I'll call 911.”

Linda ran back to the entrance, “I'm going in there. Ben may need help!”

“Linda, don’t!” Ray grabbed her just in time. “You'll be trapped inside it, too!”

She fought him. “But he's in there, Ray! Let me go! We have to get him out of there!”

“Linda, listen to me!” Ray said, trying to stop her, while she tried to get rid of his arms. “The rescue team will get Benny out of there, you hear? We can wait for him right here.”

Ray could feel the fear and horror in Linda's eyes, when she reluctantly relented, “Okay, Ray. I'll wait here.”

The Italian turned around, asking, “Sister, could you ...?”

“Sure. I'll take care of her, Ray.”

Within minutes, a real circus was set up in front of the Santa Fortunata school. Two policemen got out of their patrol cars to talk to Ray, while the nun was with Linda. The girl had her eyes fixed on the small entrance, now muddy with the light rain that was still falling. Paramedics and rescue workers were discussing how best to enter the place where they had last seen Fraser. Reconnaissance teams put stethoscopes in the rubble to try to pick up signs of life. They found none.

Linda was totally oblivious to the movements that surrounded her. Her focus was on the entrance, from which she expected Fraser or Diefenbaker to emerge at any second. Until then, she hadn't moved, sitting in the light Chicago drizzle as service cars passed her with their lights on, ignoring her as much as she did them. She also ignored all of Sister Ann's requests for her to come inside the school and Ray's, to get something to eat.

In fact, Linda only responded to Ray, but still, very badly. She accepted when Ray put his coat on her shoulders to protect her from the rain, and replied to Ray that she didn't want tea, thank you. The night went by as rescuers still tried to find Fraser. Morning came, and the drizzle turned into light snow, but Linda never moved from the place she had chosen to watch the entrance: at the corner of the school, her eyes fixed.

The whole Saturday passed, and the search parties had no choice but to give up their efforts. The rain had started again at the end of the day, and by sundown Ray was trying to get Linda home.

“Come on, Linda. Let's go home.”

Her voice was very low when she said, “I think I’ll stay a little longer, Ray.”

“Linda, it won't do you any good.”

“Ray?”

“What?”

“Your voice is getting further away, Ray. I can hardly hear you.”

“Linda”. He came close to her. “Linda, please. Let’s go home.”

“You're getting further away, Ray.”

The Italian almost panicked. He knew that Linda was trying with all her strength not to shut herself off from the world, as she tended to do in times of crisis. He said, “Okay, Linda, I'll try to speak louder. But ... don't let my voice get too far, okay?”

He sat next to her and she let his arms wrap around her. They stayed like that together for some time. Linda without moving, without crying. Then it was late at night, and very cold, so Ray tried again. But this time, he didn't let her refuse.”

“Linda, come. Come on. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going, Ray?”

"To your home," he said, with a ready answer. "Dief must be waiting for us there.”

It made the girl move, but her muscles hurt.

“Fine. But then we can go back if we need, can't we?”

“If you want, Linda.”

“I’d like that, please, Ray.”

She entered the Riv and Ray asked, “Linda, it's good to talk, you know? If you want to say anything, if you want to ask anything, you can do it. In fact, why don't you do it right now? It is okay.”

“I can't do that, Ray.”

“Why not?”

“I’m so scared. I am m afraid if I start talking, I can start crying, and if I start crying, he can ... be ...” The girl couldn't continue, and it broke Ray's heart. “He can ... _really_ be ... I don't want ... him to _be_ ... to be…”

“Hey, girl ... Okay.”

Linda didn't look at him anymore or say another word. Ray picked up a lasagna on the way to Linda's house, and thanked the heavens that he had Sunday off. He could take care of Linda as she was supposed to be treated. He had warned his mother of what had happened, but he didn't want to take Linda there. Furthermore, as Ray was taking care of Linda, he could also deal with the fact that their best friend could be lost forever ...


	26. Chapter 26

## Chapter 26

When they arrived at Linda's apartment, the landlady came by, after watching the news on TV, and made herself available for whatever they needed. Ray thanked the woman discreetly, and then turned to Linda.

“You have a nice landlady, Linda.”

Linda was sitting on the couch, staring at nothingness, but she replied to Ray-in a monotone voice, “I like her.”

Ray tried to get her attention, “Linda. Please try to eat something. You haven't eaten anything all day.”

She lowered her head and said, “Diefenbaker is not here, Ray. I thought he would be here.”

“No he is not. Linda, listen, we need to talk.”

“Ray, please.” She lowered her head, and didn’t look up to him. “Please.”

“No, Linda, I beg of you.” He lost his temper. “Do not do it. Don't do what you're doing. I might already have lost a best friend. Don't make me lose two.”

Linda raised her head suddenly at those words, and green eyes met green eyes, and he could see an infinity of pain. Linda opened her arms and her face crumpled, “Oh, Ray ...”

Ray felt accepted and received Linda's arms in friendship, affection, support and warmth. She took him in her arms for a long time, leaving him on his knees, his head in her lap, sobbing, her hands caressing his head. For many, many minutes, they dedicated themselves to mutual comfort. Then Ray said, “I'll heat up the lasagna. Promise me you'll eat some.”

"I'm not hungry, Ray." She resisted, without really trying. “I don't want to eat.”

“Linda, please. Do that for me.”

Linda opened her mouth to complain when the doorbell rang, and she said automatically, “I’ll see who’s at the door.”

She didn't realize it was so late at night, just happy to escape the discussion with Ray, who said, defeated, “All right.”

Ray went to the kitchen while Linda headed for the door. When she saw who was on the other side of her door, she tried to speak, failed, and without a word went to the floor, passed out.

Ray heard the thud and turned, freezing when he saw the scene. Linda was lying on the floor, passed out, and Fraser was beside her, dusty and dirty, trying to revive her, while Diefenbaker licked her.

_Fraser? !!?!!!?_

“Benny ...?”

“Ray, please.” He put Linda, completely unconscious, in his arms. “Please help me here.”

They took Linda to her bed, and Diefenbaker decided to bark for real. The barking woke her up, and she was still hesitant about reality. She stared at Benny with fear, as if he were going to disappear into midair.

“Ben ...?”

He stroked her hair, smiling, “Yes, Linda, it's me.”

“Are you really ...here? Is this really you?”

“It's me and I'm here, my love.” He kissed her hand. “Yes, I am really here.”

She asked, “What happened to you?”

Ray also asked the question he was dying to do, “Yeah, man, you really scared me. How did you get out of there?”

“I walked out”, he said simply. “There was another tunnel connecting the buildings. When the wooden structure fell, it blocked one passage but revealed another. However, it took me all day to dig myself out. Dief helped me, too.”

Linda threw herself into his arms, “I was so scared ...!”

Ray admitted, “She wasn't the only one, buddy. I'm glad you're here.”

Feeling the girl trembling in his arms, Fraser said, “I think I heard some noises outside the tunnel. Did you call the police?”

Linda went on, “And also the paramedics, and rescue teams, search teams, firefighters, and god knows who else. Ray called everyone he knew in Chicago. When they gave up, I- I... ” She gasped and clung to Fraser, who kissed the top of her head.

“It's okay now, Linda. I'm here, and nothing happened.”

Linda replied suddenly, “Are you hurt? Hungry?” She looked at him, and he was dirty. “Oh, my God, look at that. Come on, Ray brought a lasagna.”

“I have no injuries. Big ones, at least.”

“Come on.” Linda promptly got out of bed. “Take a shower. Ray and I are going to fix dinner. You must be starving.”

“Actually, I am.”

“Let me get you a clean towel.”

Fraser took a good shower, while Linda heated up the lasagna Ray had brought and made a little more food, because suddenly dinner for two had turned into supper for four. Not that any of them were complaining. They were hungry, exhausted and happy. Diefenbaker loved lasagna and couldn't be happier to feel the other members of his pack happy. It was a natural combination, total integration.

It was during dinner that Linda had an idea.

“Dude, I ate like a monk” said Ray, sighing. “I'm even sleepy like a monk.”

Taking the dishes to the kitchen, Linda said, “Yes, I'm tired too.”

Ray recommended, “You better rest a while, young lady. You have been awake for at least 36 hours.”

Linda started washing the dishes and said, “Don't worry, Ray. I'll rest. Could you do me a favor and take Ben home?”

“Sure. Benny, I'm ready whenever you want to go.”

“Linda, don't you prefer me to stay?”

“No, honey, it's okay. But there is something I would like to tell you. Can you wait a minute, Ray?”

“For sure.”

The two went to Linda's room, while Ray crouched down to play with Diefenbaker and saw the two friends in the distance. He had promised to do whatever it took to keep him from showing his feelings for Linda with the two of them. They were so good together, but it was so painful for Ray. Even if it hurt, Ray knew it was much better than the alternative: to be without their friendship. He loved them very much, and he didn't want to risk either friendship.

Lost in thought, Ray didn't notice that Ben and Linda were definitely arguing about something. When he noticed the blush on Ben's cheeks, he stopped playing with Dief.

“Are you guys okay?”

Before Fraser opened his mouth, Linda intervened, “I told you that you two should come here tomorrow night. I would like to try something different and new.”

Ray smiled, “Sounds great. But you need to sleep now, Linda. Rest well.”

“I will rest. Thank you, Ray.” She hugged him. “Thank you for everything.”

Ray was not expecting that. He blushed and said, “Yeah, well, I'll see you tomorrow, then.”

The two left, and Linda smiled, her heart beating faster. She hoped her idea would work.

*** * ***

On Sunday night, Linda stopped to contemplate her efforts. There were candles on the table and special bottles in the refrigerator. She had always heard of the powers of champagne, and in a few hours she could verify the rumors.

It had taken her a little longer than usual at the supermarket and at the gourmet market until she was sure she had everything she would need. Fruits were a good choice, and also chocolate to melt and join the fruits. Cheese and biscuits would have to be plentiful, after all, there would be an Italian present, and one very familiar with the secrets of the kitchen. On the other side was a man with a keen sense of taste and smell. She had her work cut out for her.

In the end, Linda found she had no reason to worry. Fraser was delighted with her choice of foods, Ray impressed with the elaboration more than anything. The champagne proved to be a success. Linda also tried some of it – or a lot of it. Two bottles had already been consumed, and a third was opened.

Fraser had a funny voice when he said, “Oh, dear. I think I drank too much.”

Linda had never felt so light before, and replied, “Ray shouldn't be driving tonight. He can sleep here tonight.”

The Italian laughed out loud and said, “No, no ... It will be a nuisance.”

“A nuisance?” she repeated. “Of course not. I insist on it.”

“Come on”, he said. “The sleeping arrangements would be embarrassing, to say the least. I should go.”

Linda said, “Well, it does not need to embarrass anyone if we don't want to.”

Fraser scolded, “Linda, you don't have to make Ray uncomfortable.”

The girl lowered her head, obedient and servile, “Of course, Ben. As you wish.”

"No, let her speak," said Ray. "What's on your mind, Linda?"

Fraser tried to say, “Ray, perhaps ...”

“No, I insist. Speak, Linda. What do you mean?”

“Well, I ... I mean I love you very much, Ray, you know that. There is no reason why we are not enjoying this love. You know, the three of us.”

Ray's green eyes widened and his mouth hung down. Was the champagne getting to his head? Or was Linda really suggesting what he thought she was suggesting?

Fraser said to Linda, “I said we needed to discuss this with Ray first, Linda. He has his moral convictions, his religious beliefs. We shouldn't embarrass him like that.”

Linda was shocked, “I didn't mean to embarrass him, Ben. I love him so much.”

Ben softened his voice, “I know you do, dear. I love him very much as well.”

Linda had not given up, “Well, it’s just that. If I love Ray so much, why not make love to him, too? I can do this, Ben. You know I was forced to have sex with three men, even more. Why can't I do this to the men I love?”

Fraser continued the dialogue as normal, while Ray blushed more and more, “I told you, Linda, it is quite frowned upon. Also, we need to talk to Ray about this. It's a very important matter, one that should be handled very carefully. It could affect our friendship.”

“I'm sorry, Ben. Are you upset with me?”

“Of course not, Linda. I love you.”

While they shared a kiss at the table, Ray still hadn't stopped being amazed by their words. The Italian was a little dizzy due to alcohol, but he had not lost the broader meaning of what they said and he had a hard time believing what he had heard. From what he had heard, not only did Linda _want_ this to happen, but she had also talked to Fraser about it, and his friend sounded like he had no major objections to the fact.

Ray had to ask, “You guys are pulling my leg, aren't you?”

“Of course not, Ray,” said Linda. “This is a very serious matter. It means a lot to us.”

Fraser intervened, “We understand that you need time to think about it. And we can also understand if you never want to speak about that ever again.”

Linda took Ray's hand and said, gently, “We like you very much. We don't want to lose you.”

Ray was confused, not knowing what to say, and took his hand as if he were burning, trying to smile, totally embarrassed, “I ... Never ... I never thought ... I ... sorry, guys ... I'm too... too... shy, I guess.”

Ben looked at Linda, and saw in her eyes the same thought that theirs conveyed. The two blushed, but Linda got up from the table and to Ray's surprise, she took his hand with all tenderness, inviting him, “Come with us, Ray.”

The Italian turned scarlet as his blush deepened, and stared at Benny. The Canadian got up from his chair, walked over to his girlfriend and put both hands on Linda's shoulders, both of them looking at Ray softly, smiling. Ben invited, “We are both more than willing to have you, Ray.”

Linda took Ray's other hand and held them both up, before renewing the invitation, “Please.”

The Italian stood up, and Ben touched his arm as well, while Linda reached out to him, offering her lips to Ray. The two kissed as they stumbled toward the bedroom, already leaving pieces of clothing on the way. When they fell on the bed, Ben was already wearing only a T-shirt as he opened Linda's shirt, as if unwrapping her for Ray. The girl vigorously unbuttoned an Armani shirt, and her mouth delighted on Ray's hairy chest, before removing Ray's silk pants. While Ben undressed his girlfriend, Linda undressed Ray, who was delighted, floating in a dimension filled only with sensation and sensual sounds of low, guttural moans.

Ray felt his eyes closing and other parts of his body responding equally to Linda's attentions. The girl was busy kissing and undressing Ben gently, but she quickly engaged in Ray's throat, where she left sweet, tender kisses, massaging her straight abdomen with gentle circular motions. Ben was not entirely passive, making his hand travel over Linda's bare back.

“Ray.”

The Italian was so absorbed in sensations that he hardly heard Linda.

“Yes?”

"I need your permission, Ray," whispered Linda, kissing his cheek. "Please let me give you pleasure."

“Why do you need my permission?”

“It would be very rude not to ask, Ray. It's a great honor. I shouldn't just assume that I can do it without asking. Will you let me?”

“Sure, Linda. Do whatever you want.”

No sooner said than done. Linda quickly knelt down, kissing Ray's chest, making him shiver. Ben watched, touching himself lazily as he watched his two friends interact. The girl expertly began to move towards Ray's lower body, her objective evident.

But Linda had her own way of doing things, and first she ran her tongue over Ray's lower abdomen, his thighs, the inside of them and the two spheres that excited her so much. And apparently they excited Ray, too, because her attentions were rewarded with moans and a jump. When Linda finally took the Italian in her hot, moist mouth, Ray let out a short, high-pitched scream.

It excited Ben so much that he lifted Linda's hips, careful not to break her concentration between Ray's legs. Gently, he opened his girlfriend's legs and buried himself in her vagina from behind, causing a loud moan. The moan was also muffled, because her mouth had never left Ray's manhood, and the cop was doing his best not to move around in the girl's mouth and risk choking her with his full member. He was impossibly stiff, and Linda moved her tongue over the head of a circumcised penis in a way that Ray had never experienced. He called her name loud in the entire time.

Ray surrendered not only to the sensations Linda drew from him, but also to the strong emotions he had suppressed, the same emotions he believed he could never live with, and he lived in that very moment. The sight of Linda kneeling at his groin, her head going up and down, up, down, up, down – it made him even more taut with desire. She made loud sucking noises, and she was so dedicated to her task, that Ray felt the glorious end approaching. He tried to warn Linda, but Ben was also very excited, moving inside her with enthusiasm, and Ray's words were camouflaged by the Canadian's moans of pleasure.

It never made a difference anyway. Ray exploded loudly in Linda's mouth, and the girl seemed eager to suck everything up, licking it until it was clean. At the same time, Ben was also close to the boiling point, moving quickly in Linda's core, and with a cry, he fell over the girl's body.

Linda crawled over to snuggle up to Ray, carrying Ben on her back. She kissed the Italian, and it took him a while to realize what the kiss tasted like. She smiled and whispered, “Thank you, Ray.”

“No, thank _you_.”

“You taste great, Ray.”

“Do you really think so?”

“It's sweet. Do you mind if Ben also proves it?”

“Only if he wants to.”

She turned to her boyfriend, “Want to taste Ray, Ben?”

“Of course I do.”

Linda turned fully to her boyfriend and kissed him deeply, wrapping her arms around his body and opening her mouth to receive his tongue, sucking it tenderly. Slowly, as the kiss went on, Ben's erection began to show signs of life, much to his surprise.

Linda's hands caressed the alabaster body, and she moaned when Ray's nimble and experienced hands caressed her, and the Italian's dark penis began to nudge her at the kidneys, again stiff and hungry, his body clinging to hers, and his arms came up behind her so that his hands reached Linda's delicate breasts. Ray's hands found Ben's already playing with Linda's nipples, the girl ecstatic with the two men's attentions on her eager body.

She used her mouth to caress Ben's chest, delicate caresses floating down his pale chest and down to the south of the sculptural Canadian body. Ray bent to kiss her soft back, while she continued to leave a trail of kisses on Ben's abdomen. So, in order to have better access, she was on her knees, and going lower and lower in Ben's body. Linda positioned herself between her lover's white thighs and soon the Canadian's moans changed in tone, as the delicate spheres began to receive massages, and his proud manhood was completely covered by the girl's warm mouth.

The sounds excited Ray, and it also gave him the opportunity to do something he was eager to do. Walking on his knees in the the bed, Ray was able to reach behind Linda and penetrate her while she was also on her knees, bent forward, intensely dedicated to serving Fraser orally. Just stepping into Linda's warm, wet interior made Ray even more rigid, giving Linda more pleasure.

She moaned and started to move her hips back, encouraging him to penetrate her even more deeply, burying herself with intensity in Ray. The Italian lost all control and entered Linda with strength and greediness. The three moaned and moved quicker, the desire growing, the explosion approaching, yes, the orgasm coming.

It took almost nothing for them to cross the line of sanity and surrender to the dimension of total pleasure. First it was Fraser, who seemed helpless before the voracious mouth that devoured him in a loving and possessive way. He shouted Linda's name, even before the girl threw herself at his seed, eagerly sipping and swallowing everything.

Shortly thereafter, Ray's body began to spasm into convulsions, clutching Linda's hips, and screaming something in Italian that neither Ben nor Linda could detect. Linda was whispering to Ray to love her with passion, and it made the cop lose control and pour his hot seed into Linda's body.

When Ray's exhausted body hit the bed, Linda reached out and kissed him. The Italian realized that the taste of the girl's mouth had nothing to do with her. And smiled.

“Benny, you taste great too.”

“Ray?”

“Yes, Benny?”

“Shut up and sleep.”

Ray smiled and straightened up on the bed, which looked even smaller with the three adult bodies to support. The three of them snuggled against each other: Linda in the middle of the two, resting her head on Fraser's chest and Ray nestled on the girl's shoulder. The three had satisfied, content smiles on their lips. But more than that: their friendship was founded on love, a love now palpable and strengthened. Nobody could take that away from them.

Yet, as sure as the Sun would go up next morning, some would try to do just that…


	27. Chapter 27

# Family Values

## Chapter 27

The morning was full of activity in Linda's small apartment. The girl was in the kitchen, preparing the potatoes she had promised to take for a Saturday lunch at the Vecchios' house. But she was not alone. Fraser was getting dressed for the event and Ray finished taking the shower, in a nice hot bath, as he liked. Diefenbaker watched the movement quite doggedly, and sighed in frustration, thinking only that the food should be delayed.

Linda was getting more and more tense.

“Ben, I need help. You and Ray need to go to the supermarket. Now.”

“Calm down, Linda. Can't we buy what you need on the way to lunch?”

“No, Ben! I still need to prepare it.” The girl was nervous. “And you can take your time. Take Dief, too.”

Ray, always elegant, folded up his jacket and said, “Benny, she's not kidding. We better go.”

Fraser kissed her forehead and said, “No need to worry, Linda. Everything will be fine, as always.”

She smiled and kissed him briefly, “Thank you, Ben. I’m sorry.”

“We will be back soon.”

“You don't have to hurry. But I need sweet paprika. And soft drinks for children.”

Ray was already near the door and said, “Lock the door when we leave. We are taking Dief with us.”

“All right.”

Ben, the last to leave, heard the sound of the door being locked behind him. Then he quickened his pace to catch up with Ray and his wolf.

*** * ***

Almost an hour later, they returned. Even when they had just set foot on the stairs, Dief started to bark. Knowing that the wolf generally didn't behave like that, unless something was wrong, Fraser immediately ran up the stairs, Ray in pursuit.

The door to Linda's apartment was wide open. There was no sign of forced entry. Ray was already holding his gun, and silently motioned for Fraser to step back. Then he entered carefully, aiming the revolver. There was nothing to indicate that the intruder or intruders had already left, although there was no noise coming from inside the apartment.

The living room was just a mess. Everything seemed to be destroyed or crushed. There was a bloodstain on the wall, and Ray looked at Fraser. The Canadian looked tense and slightly pale. He went further into the small apartment.

If the living room was messy, then Linda's room was upside down. Ray had seen that kind of destruction before: it wasn't the kind of damage someone did when looking for money or jewelry. It was the mere satisfaction of destroying, the vandal's impulse to smash everything he could get his hands on.

The bed had been turned over, on its fours up, and tossed over the toppled cabinet. There were clothes all over the place, some torn, the small objects that Linda loved so much lying on the floor, crushed to dust.

And no sign of Linda.

They went to the kitchen, and the potatoes she had started to bake were burnt beyond recognition. Everything else seemed to be untouched.

There was also no sign of life in the house.

Ray put the gun away and said, “Whoever it is, it's gone. Come on, we have to find Linda.”

Fraser got to his knees and grabbed Diefenbaker's snout, ordering the wolf, “Dief, find Linda. Find Linda.”

The wolf jumped and left the kitchen, probably due to the smell of burning food. Then he went back to the bedroom. The animal literally started digging under the bed, yelping, then barked.

With Ray's help, Fraser removed the bed and mattress, and then she appeared: Linda was beneath the wreckage, curled into a ball, clinging to her knees, unable to lift her face, like a cornered animal, hiding.

Ray blurted out, in a whisper, “Oh sweet baby Jesus.”

“Linda,” Fraser approached, seeing her body full of bruises and wounds, her hair disheveled. “Linda, it's me.”

At first she shrank even more, and groaned when Fraser's hand touched her skin. Then she turned and looked at him. And her face was also covered in wounds, some turning purple, one eye almost closed, her mouth and nose bleeding. The worst was the indescribable fear that she saw in the green eyes, wide and almost unrecognizable. Fraser stretched out his arms, without touching her, and she looked at them for a few seconds, unsure of what she should do. Then, slowly, painfully slowly, Linda went into Fraser's arms. She was half naked, the rest of the clothes she still wore in straps.

Ray had already called 911, and saw Fraser's efforts to try to give her any sense of safety.

To no avail.

*** * ***

Linda seemed totally absent when she was examined at the same hospital where she worked, the one closest to her home. She didn't say a word. She didn't speak to Ray, she didn't speak to Fraser either, but she clung to the Mountie as if he were her last lifeline. For doctors to be able to examine her, it was necessary to pry her off Fraser.

According to the evidence found in the apartment and in Linda's body, she had been savagely beaten and raped by just one person. There were no fractures, but her eye had suffered from bruising, and a lip was cracked. Forensics reports had confirmed only one aggressor. Either that person had tricked Linda into opening the apartment door, or it was someone Linda already knew and let in. The girl didn't answer a single question. She just was not there. Fraser's pleas fell on deaf ears.

Dr. Lennyard was called in, as Linda quickly closed herself off in an inner world, almost in a sort of healing trance. Fraser tried to explain to her that if she could not answer or take care of herself, she would not be discharged and could even return to the mental institution she had once attended. That was Linda's biggest fear: going back to that place. But even that threat had no positive effect. Linda was still speechless.

On the morning of the second day, still purple and bruised, Linda got up, put some clothes she found in the hospital closet, and went to work as usual. When the nurses found out that her room was empty, they called Dr. Lennyard, fearing that she might have escaped from the hospital. But the doctor soon found out that she was cleaning the operating room, and he thought doing her work as usual could help Linda to interact more with other people. So she went back to work, but she still hadn't spoken. And the other days passed like that.

Fraser and Ray (as well as Ray's family) came to visit her as much as they could, as she ended up in the hospital for a little longer. It was then that the truth appeared.

A bit more than a week after Linda had been beaten at her home, the investigation was practically dead, and she was called to Dr. Lennyard's office. This was something she was doing every day, even though she remained silent. Therefore, there was no surprise in the fact itself. But she was not prepared for the surprise that the good doctor brought.

“Linda, please, sit down. I received some very disturbing papers today. And they concern you.”

Linda looked at him inquiringly.

"It looks like your father is requesting your legal custody," said the doctor, watching the girl's reaction closely. “I was summoned by a judge. It is a legal term that means that I am required to go to an audience. It looks like your dad wants to take care of you. I am very surprised and-”

“No!” Linda shrieked. “My father died ... he is _dead!_ ” She had difficulty to articulate because she had not spoken at all for so long.

Dr. Lennyard said, a hard expression, “Apparently he has not died, Linda. In addition, you are still a minor in the eyes of the state of Illinois, so your father still holds power over you. If he wins your custody, you will have to live with him.”

The girl reacted energetically and screeched, “NOOO!!!!”

“Linda,” the doctor tried to calm her down. “Please listen to me.”

But she was in no shape to listen. She threw herself on the floor, grabbing her knees and curling in fetal position, crying and repeating. “Please don’t…! Please… Don’t make me… Please…!”

Dr. Lennyard didn’t expect such a violent reaction, so he called a nurse. Linda was sedated and taken to her room. That was where Fraser found him, after the end of his shift at the Consulate, unaware of anything that had transpired. The Mountie was not prepared for what the psychiatrist had to say. The doctor shook his head.

“I confess that it also took me totally by surprise, Constable. Both the summon and her reaction.”

“I thought she had no family, that everyone had died.”

Dr. Lennyard explained, “Linda's mother really died when she was very young, and her father lost legal custody due to physical and sexual abuse to which the girl was subjected. After that, he totally disappeared without answering to his crimes. In time, we assume that he had died. It was how Linda came to be in the hands of the state. Her home was not safe at the time, and her problems made her go to a psychiatric institution. She is in state custody to this day because she is still a minor, under 21 years, according to the laws of the state of Illinois. I am her civil custodian and she is my ward –a ward of the State, due to her medical history. And right now, she is terrified. Her father's return itself would be a great shock to her, but if he also manages to get her custody and if he decides she is to stop her treatment, there is nothing I can do to stop him.”

The Mountie was quite distraught. “Shouldn’t he be in jail for everything he did to her?”

“Apparently, he succeeded in a plea bargain stating he is undergoing medical treatment for his condition. He convinced the judge he feels so much better that he wants to get his family back.”

Fraser pressed his lips before asking. “What can we do, doctor?”

“Please, Constable, help me build a solid legal case to prevent this man from getting Linda back in his custody. I will need your help and Detective Vecchio to save Linda.”

“I'll do everything I can. Do you have a lawyer in mind?”

“Since the complaint is against the State of Illinois, I'm afraid I will be forced to use the hospital's lawyer.”

“I take it he is not a good one.”

“Oh, it's a she – Miss Weiner – and she is an excellent professional. But I fear that her area is not the custody of minors, if you know what I mean. I will need your help, Constable. I know you care about Linda.”

“I love her, doctor. I'll do anything.”

“Can you start by trying to calm her down? I don't want to keep her on medication all the time, but the truth is, she got way out of control today, and she had plenty of reason to do so.”

“I'll do what I can.”

Fraser entered the room and Linda was awake, lying on the bed, holding her legs. Fraser stopped, alarmed. The position was Linda's favorite when she wanted to distance herself from the world. He risked calling, “Linda?”

She turned to him. “Ben?” Her eyes filled with tears and despair. “Oh Ben, help me, please, _help me!_ ”

She threw herself into Fraser's arms, who felt how much her body trembled with genuine terror. He tried to comfort her, and she tried to explain – all at once.

“He told me to be quiet, Ben, and I was, I was quiet, remember that I was really quiet? And then I thought he was just a ghost that came to hurt me, but now he's back, Ben, he is _really_ back, and I don't know what to do –“

“Linda, Linda, Linda –“ said Fraser, until she paid attention to him, her green eyes wide. “Slow down, my love, I can't understand. Who asked you to be quiet?”

The girl took a deep breath and replied, still sobbing, “My f-father.”

“You saw him?”

She nodded and tears fell from her eyes, wetting Fraser's shirt. Suddenly, he had an insight and asked, “Was that your father in the apartment that Saturday, Linda? Did he hurt you?”

Once again she nodded and sobbed loudly, and then he hugged her, a pain tightening his chest, saying more to himself than to the terrified girl, “No wonder you didn't say a word. He was a ghost.”

“He told me not to say anything to anyone, not a word.” Linda was crying in Fraser's arms. “I obeyed him, Ben. I did exactly what he told me to do. Why is he trying to hurt me like this?”

“Linda, listen to me.” Ben made her look at him, his voice serious. “We will do everything to prevent him from taking you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ben, but ...”

"You need to trust me," he interrupted, more and more serious. "I'm going to need your help, Linda. We can defeat this together, dear. But you need to have faith.”

The girl was still shaking. “I trust you, Ben. Really. But –“

“Then everything will be fine. We have a fight ahead of us, and I need you to be strong. Be strong for me. And we will fight this together. Do you understand?”

She looked at Fraser, looking at him deep in her blue eyes, and said, “I love you so much.”

The Canadian melted inside, but said, “I love you, too, and I will fight anyone who tries to take you away from me." The prospect of losing Fraser made Linda shiver and Ben hugged her tightly, whispering, "I will do everything within my power to prevent anyone from taking you away from me, Linda."

“I'm terrified of losing you, Ben.”

“You will never lose me. Understand it? Never.”

Linda lifted her head just to look into his blue eyes, to see the love and commitment, the determination that radiated. When he tried to bring his lips closer to hers, there was a knock on the door. They smiled, ashamed, and separated, while Linda called, “Come in, please.”

Mrs. Sorelli appeared, carrying a tray, apologizing, “Sorry to disturb you, but I'm here on duty.”

Linda dried her tears and tried to get up, saying, “Okay, Mrs. Sorelli, just give me a few minutes and I'll be ready for work.”

The head nurse smiled and said, “No, Linda, you misunderstood. I am here to do my job, and that is to take care of you. Dr. Lennyard wants to make sure you get some rest tonight. He's already made an appointment for you to see the hospital attorney tomorrow afternoon. Now, you need to take this pill.”

Linda obeyed and asked, “Mrs. Sorelli, don't you want me to do the morning shift? I'm already right here.”

“No, we already hired a temp. Linda, from now on, you have orders to rest and not to worry about the hospital. Please don't make me ask the doctor for a shot of sedatives.”

“No, of course not.”

The head nurse helped the girl to slip under the covers, and then turned to Fraser, who was beside the bed, “Make sure she rests tonight, please.”

“Yes, ma'am," said Fraser. “Thanks.”

“I'll bring the medication right after dinner. Until then, Linda, try to relax a little.”

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Sorelli.”

“And try not to worry, okay?”

Linda smiled. Mrs. Sorelli returned the smile and then did the same to Fraser, before leaving. When they were alone, Linda asked, “Ben, if I ask you something, would you do it for me?”

He took her hand, kissed it and replied, “You know I would. Anything.”

“Don't tell anyone what happened. You know, that I saw my father ... and what happened. Please don't tell.”

“What?”

“He will separate me from you if you say what I told you. And I will deny it if you do, Ben. He's going to do this, Ben, he's going to do it. I can't allow it.”

“Linda, I can't believe you're asking me that. You know what he did. Don't you want him to be arrested?”

“Ben, he saw us.”

“Us?”

“Me... you ... and Ray ...”

Fraser closed his eyes in frustration, then scratched his ear, without letting go of Linda's hand. It took him a while to say, “That is… unfortunate.”

Linda said, “We had no idea he was spying on us. This isn’t our fault. But it happened. So I ask you again, Ben. Do not say anything.”

The Canadian made his tongue wander his lips, restlessly, and said, vexed, “Do you realize that we may lose the lawsuit because of this? Linda, he _attacked_ you. He needs to pay for what he did. And he cannot win your custody. We have a process at stake. We could lose if this attack doesn't come out. I can lose you, Linda.”

“That's why we have so much at stake. Ben, I'm not willing to risk you. I cannot. I will do whatever he tells me to do.”

Fraser realized that her eyes were getting heavier, and he kissed her forehead, “We can talk about that some other time. Don't worry about it now. Why don't you get some rest?”

“Do not go, please.”

“I will not leave you. You can rest easy.”

He kept his hands between hers until she fell asleep, due to the medication. Dinner came and she nibbled a little, not much. Then she took some more medication and complained, but was asleep in a matter of minutes. However, even with the medication, her sleep was restless. She woke up scared, and threw herself into Fraser's arms at least twice.


	28. Chapter 28

## Chapter 28

The next day, Linda took a quick shower and put on the dress that Mrs. Sorelli had given her last Christmas to go to the hospital lawyer's office downtown. Dr. Lennyard would take her, and she knew that Fraser couldn't go, but Ray might show up. Both had the attorney's address.

In Miss Weiner’s fancy waiting room, Linda was extremely uncomfortable, and Dr. Lennyard smiled at her, trying to comfort her, while they waited to be called. Finally, the office door opened and a blonde woman in her fifties called, “Linda Lyme?”

“It's me.”

“You may come in.”

Dr. Lennyard started to come in with Linda, and the woman said, “I'll talk to Linda alone, if you don't mind.”

After a moment's hesitation, the girl entered the office alone. She looked around, impressed. There were millions of books on the shelves and everything seemed to be made of wood or leather. The blonde lady smiled at her and offered a big chair.

“Sit down, Linda, please. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma’am.”

Linda was intimidated. The lawyer sat down at the table and smiled at her.

“Linda, I wanted to see you alone because I want to know your version of the whole story. Do you understand what is happening, what this court case is about?”

She nodded, answering, “My father wants to get custody of me. This means that he would be responsible for me and that I would probably no longer be under Dr. Lennyard's care.”

“Very well, you understood everything correctly. I want you to understand something, Linda,” said Miss. Weiner. “Sometimes I can seem kind of tough on you, but it's only because I want to win this case, okay? I read your file, and I know you had a rough time in your life. I will do everything I can so that this does not happen again.”

The girl nodded, tears rising in her eyes, and said, “Thank you, Ma’am.”

“No, don't thank me until this is all over. Now, we need to work. You seem to be very smart. You are also quite charming. If I suggest you testify, would you have any objections?”

Linda thought, then thought it best to make sure she understood the question, “Does this mean I would have to talk to a judge?”

“That's right. It is also possible that you may have to answer the other attorney's questions. Would you feel uncomfortable doing that?”

“Would Ben be with me?”

The lawyer wrote down her name, then replied, “No, you would be alone, Linda. Kind of like you are right now: alone, answering questions from a stranger. The difference would that, in the courtroom, there would be more people around, and not all of them friendly, that's all.”

Linda inhaled loudly and nodded, frowning purposefully, “Yes, I think can do that.”

“Yeah, I'm sure you can, Linda”. Miss. Weiner smiled. “I'll recommend that you testify, then. Do you doubt that this man is really your father?”

She shuddered, then lowered her head and replied quietly, “No.”

“You don't want to live with him, do you?” Linda shook her head. “Why is that?”

“I’m scared of him.”

“Well, you certainly look scared. Why are you so scared of him?”

“He used to hit me. Beat me a lot. Dr. Lennyard said that for years the suspected I had brain… brain injury, or something, from hitting me so much. But I don't have one, no.”

“So, Linda, why do you have a tutor?”

“Because I can't take care of myself.”

“I can't see why not. You have a job, you live alone and everything.”

“But only under Dr. Lennyard's supervision. I know that this is all just an experiment, and that I may have to go back to the institution again.”

“Would you like to return to the institution?”

“No, ma'am. I like to live out here. I follow the rules. I take my medicine, I do my job and I treat people with courtesy.”

Miss Weiner picked up a paper and started walking around the office, reading the sheet. Linda heard the noise of the El's passing a few floors below. The lawyer said, “Well, the petition that your father filed accuses the State of negligence while treating you and mentions at least three occasions when you were kidnapped and assaulted”. She raised her head and repeated, as a question. “Assaulted?”

Linda felt her face heat up. If she had a mirror, she would have seen it was red.

“It's so unfair! It wasn't Dr. Lennyard's fault!” The lawyer watched her closely, and Linda tried to control herself, saying. “Sorry, I lost control. It won't happen again.”

“Why did you say it's unfair, Linda?”

“Because it wasn't Dr. Lennyard's fault. There were accidents, mere bad luck. No, that is not the correct word.”

“But I understand what you mean. And who is this policeman, Detective Vecchio?”

“He is my friend. I met him at the hospital when he was sick.”

“He seems to bring a lot of trouble your way. And this man called Fraser, too. They seem to attract trouble around you.”

“They are my friends!” When she found out, Linda had screamed again, and was embarrassed when she realized that. “Oh, sorry. But they _are_ my friends. They would never hurt me.”

“As I said, I can be a little harsh with you, but it's not because I hurt you. I'm just saying what they can say in court. They can try to confuse you, so they can say that Dr. Lennyard is not taking care of you as he should.”

“That would be a lie.”

“But they can do that, Linda, they can lie. I see you're really a smart girl, so we can avoid that. Yes, Linda, I think we have a good chance of winning this case. Speaking of which, why is your name different from your father's?”

Linda was confused, “I do not know what you're talking about.”

“Your name is Linda Lyme, isn't it? But he is Stanley Renner.”

The girl could not explain.

“I do not know. Sorry, I didn't know his name was Stanley Renner. The last time I saw him ... I was five ...”

“We can work on it later, Linda. Now that I know you, I am convinced that we can win this case. We will meet again a few times, like we just did today, before the case goes to trial. Now I need to speak to Dr. Lennyard. Could you call him, please?”

“Sure.”

Linda left the office and told Dr. Lennyard to go inside. She had been in the waiting room less than 10 minutes when Ray came into the room, panting, “Am I too late?”

“No”. Linda smiled. “Sit down, catch your breath.”

He obeyed, then she waited for him to speak. Ray soon asked, “Are you still waiting?”

“I already talked to her, Dr. Lennyard is in. She says we have a chance to win.”

“Really?”

“Hmhm. And I may be called to testify.”

“Does she want you to testify?”

“Yes. She says I can do that.”

“Of course you can. You are a very smart girl. She saw this right away.”

Linda smiled, feeling more confident. She did not mention that the lawyer hinted that the Italian was getting her into trouble. The girl was happy with the mere fact that he had been able to come, and she hugged him gratefully.

“Thanks for coming.”

“Hey, girl, no problem. We are friends, right?”

“Right, Ray.”

Linda smiled contentedly and cuddled up to Ray. They waited for Dr. Lennyard to leave the office. Miss Weiner was intrigued to see Linda hugging the man. Dr. Lennyard introduced her, “Miss Weiner, this is Detective Ray Vecchio, Linda's good friend.”

“Oh, is he _the_ Detective Vecchio? How convenient to have you here. You can come in, too.”

“Sorry, ma'am, but I have an appointment right now. But I think I can stop by tomorrow, if that is okay with you.”

“You do that, Mr. Vecchio. And bring your friend, Mr…er...” she consulted her papers and said, “Fraser.”

“We’ll do that.” He talked to Dr. Lennyard, “Hey, doc, is it okay if I take Linda for ice cream right now?”

“She needs to be back at the hospital at seven.”

“She will be. Want a ride over there?”

“To tell you the truth, yes, I do, thank you.”

“Great.” Ray guided Linda and turned to say. “See you tomorrow, Miss Weiner.”

Linda ended the by hanging out with Ray in the late afternoon in downtown Chicago, and then at the Vecchio home, where she was pampered. Then they went out for ice cream on Michigan Avenue, where they met Fraser. Linda was thrilled. She and Dief ran through Park Lincoln, and then Fraser and Ray took her back to the hospital.

Linda understood why Fraser couldn't stay that night. He needed sleep, and his superior was demanding too much. She kissed him goodbye, then gave Ray another kiss of gratitude. When she received the sleeping pills, she promised herself that the first thing she would do in the morning was to have a good conversation with Dr. Lennyard.

The psychiatrist looked at her seriously in the office, while the girl showed no sign of intimidation or hesitation. Linda was really sure of what she wanted. Still, Dr. Lennyard thought it best to ask, “Why are you asking me that, Linda?”

The girl blushed violently and replied, “I will not lie to you. I miss my privacy. And since I'm not really working, I can rest at home. You know that I will take all the medication that you give me.”

“Linda, you know that under normal circumstances, I probably would not object to that. But the circumstances are _not_ normal. I need you to be available with very short notice. Still, I don’t want to keep you here. So, let’s make a deal: I will fulfill your request, but with a condition. You must come as soon as I call you.”

“Sure, doctor. I always did that.”

Dr. Lennyard said, “I know, Linda. But with this legal action, there is a lot at stake. Because of it, this experience you have, of having your home, you job and your life, can be denied to other patients, people who like you have no brain damage.”

_Brain damage_ , Linda corrected herself mentally. _It’s not brain injury_. Aloud, she said, “That would be awful, doctor.”

“We have to go back to Miss Weiner when she calls, so be prepared.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“Okay, Linda, go ahead. Ah, don’t forget!” He scribbled a piece of paper and handed it to her. “Go to the hospital pharmacy and have these pills made. Take two of them a day, after meals, as usual. If you have trouble sleeping, call me immediately.”

“It's ok. Thank you, Dr. Lennyard.”

The girl came into her house after three weeks and felt no difference. In fact, there was a subtle difference: Mamma Vecchio's touch to keep everything in order, even though she didn't know when Linda would return to her home. After she entered the room, she felt that there were little things missing. Things that had been broken, violated, vandalized. When she came in, she remembered everything: the attack, the hand on her mouth preventing her from screaming, the man's weight on you, the things he said ...

When Linda found herself, she was on the floor, clutching a pillow, crying. Then she heard a knock on the door.

“Linda?”

It was the landlady. She saw the girl had been crying and took her to her home, where she gave her some tea and comforted her. She also said that Linda was welcome anytime, if she needed anything, even if it was just to talk. Linda said she was a little sad, but she should wake up refreshed in the morning.

In the evening, Fraser appeared. Dief entered the apartment, then the Canadian, looking worried, “I went to the hospital. They said you had come home. Are you all right?”

“Yes” she lied, leading him to the sofa. “I didn't want to stay in the hospital, since I'm not sick anymore.”

“Good. I'm thinking of taking a few days from the Consulate. We can be together.”

She said, “I hate to see you get sloppy at work because of me, Ben.”

“No, Linda, I have a license coming. I know you're going to need me at the time of the hearing.”

“Do you know when it will be?”

“No, but if the lawyer is already so involved, it shouldn't be long. Maybe it's before Thanksgiving.”

Linda shuddered, “It's fine with me. Then we can end this whole thing, the sooner the better. Ben, I'm scared.”

He wrapped her in his arms and she felt safe, protected. Then his scent penetrated her nostrils as she put her ear to his chest, listening to his heart beating. He said, “I will do everything I can to protect you, Linda. I love you.”

“Just hug me, Benny. Please. I feel so safe when you hold me.”

Then he obeyed, kissing the top of her head, then the forehead, then the nose, and finally the lips, and they plunged into a passionate, hot kiss, until they were both panting and their eyes blurred with desire. Diefenbaker decided to curl up under the couch, predicting that it would last all night. Suddenly, Ben lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, Linda feeling her heart leaping in anticipation.

There he put her on the bed and lay down beside her. Both of them completely forgot about the wolf under the couch. Fraser murmured, “God, you're beautiful.”

“Ben, please kiss me. Please.”

He obeyed. And then, he was so full of desire that he undressed, while she stroked his body and also removed his clothes. Then he asked, “Honey, please close your eyes and let me love you.”

“I want to love you,” she insisted excitedly. “Ben, I want you.”

“No, Linda”, he smiled, kissing the length of neck greedily. “Today is your turn. This time you won't be able to distract me. I want to make you scream with pleasure. Do you agree with what I want to do?”

She caressed his perfect chest, even more excited, and replied, “I'll do whatever you want me to do, Ben. I love you.”

Fraser kissed her with such urgency that Linda thought she was going to pass out from sheer lack of oxygen. Then the experienced lips began to travel across her chest, the breasts, the neck, caresses that left her almost breathless, while his hands went to her delicate waist. His lips went down to her flat stomach, and it was from there that Linda started to lose control. Within minutes, his tongue was on the inside of Linda's thighs, and she was moaning loudly. She needed to exercise all of her control when Fraser decided to use his mouth on her wetness, at the core of her being. The skillful tongue made Linda have sensations she never imagined having. Rational thinking was totally out of the question, and if Linda had any shred of breath, she might as well be screaming.

When she thought she had no other choice but to explode in ecstasy, the tongue was gone. Panting, Linda barely managed to lift her head. It was then that she felt something that kept her on the verge of tears every time: Fraser penetrated her, his manhood filling all the voids. She threw her head back, moaning and stretched out her arms, trying to embrace her lover and pull him further inside. There was no need. Fraser was already focused on the task, and he lay on it, stimulating her clitoris as he nibbled her breasts. Both were close to the boiling point.

In fact, it was Linda's screams as she reached her orgasm that made Fraser shudder with pleasure and pour his seed into his beloved's body. Both remained lying in each other's arms, panting, their naked, sweaty bodies slowly decelerating. Fraser was careful not to crush Linda under his bulky body and took her against him. So they fell asleep. Linda felt loved, safe and more caressed than she had ever been.

For two weeks, her routine consisted of waiting for Fraser (who would come with or without Ray) and going out at night, as well as at least two weekly dinners with the Vecchios. She also enjoyed being intimate with Fraser. It wasn't just sex, but the most important things, the conversations and the caresses. Linda was increasingly able to express her feelings for him.

During the day, there were a few places to go. Most of the time, she engaged in everyday things, like shopping at the neighborhood market, or went to consultations with Dr. Lennyard, or to appointments with Miss Weiner, if not both, because the day of the hearing was fast approaching. One of the times she went to Miss Weiner’s office with the doctor, though, she was surprised.

“Ben?”

The Mountie was in the lawyer's waiting room, sitting in his uniform next to Dr. Lennyard. He stood up when Linda came in, and he had his Stetson hat in his hand.

“Er ... Linda, hello.”

"I didn't expect to find you here," she confessed. “We should not testify together on the day of the hearing.”

Fraser really looked extremely embarrassed.

“I know, but I'm here for ... another subject.”

Linda was intrigued, but she couldn't say anything, because the door to Miss Weiner’s office opened up and she stuck her head out. Upon seeing Linda, the lawyer smiled.

“I'm glad you're here, Linda. Please come in. And this time I'm talking to the three of you.”

Linda entered the office with the distinct feeling that there was something going on that she didn't know. If that were the case, apparently she would know everything soon. She saw Fraser and Dr. Lennyard enter. And her instincts were right. As soon as they were all installed and seated, Miss. Weiner said. “So, Mr Fraser, you are saying that there is a way to end this process.”

“No, madam. I simply argued that I would like to discuss an option that can free us from this lawsuit.”

“Whatever it is, Constable, spill it.”

He seemed to blush and cleared his throat before saying, “Well, madam, if it helps in any way, I would be more than happy to marry Linda.”

For a minute or more, the silence in the room was so eloquent that a fly would have sounded like a supersonic jet. Fraser waited until the news was well assimilated. And it was the lawyer who broke the silence.

“Pardon me?”

It was the cue that Fraser was waiting to explain his case.

“I understand that she needs Dr. Lennyard's permission, because he is her legal guardian, but once married, from what I understand, she would be emancipated from the legal point of view, and then her father could no longer interfere with her life. There would not even be custody to be disputed.”

Dr. Lennyard said, “You can't be serious.”

“I'm very serious,” insisted the Mountie. “I love Linda. Marrying her would only be a matter of time. I'm just ... speeding things up a bit, you might say.”

Linda was pale, shocked by what she heard. Dr. Lennyard reminded the Canadian, “Marrying Linda would not give you legal custody over her.”

"No, of course not, nor is that what I intend to do," agreed Fraser. "But Linda would have full responsibility for herself, I want to believe."

Linda was intrigued, “Responsibility? Would I no longer have to have a tutor?”

Fraser said, “If I understand it correctly, that is exactly what would happen. You would be responsible for your own actions.”

The lawyer rushed to say, “Linda, wait a minute before jumping to conclusions. We are just exploring the possibilities.”

The girl was getting hopeful, “But can it be done? Is this true?”

Miss Weiner smiled sadly and said, “I'm sorry to rain on your parade, folks, but that would do more harm than good.”

Dr. Lennyard said sourly, “Nor does it seem to me to be the most ethical thing to do.”

“Dr. Lennyard is right,” agreed the lawyer. “A wedding so close to the hearing would seem like a way to escape the law. Judges hardly approve of this type of conduct.”

Fraser argued, “Not if I love her.”

The woman smiled.

“Nice try, Constable.”

Fraser insisted, “But it is true. I do love her.”

Miss Weiner narrowed her eyes threateningly at him and said, quite harshly, “So you're in love, Mr. Fraser? Let me tell you something I found out about you that the other party may also have discovered: your professional relations with your senior officer are getting pretty bad, aren't they? A certain inspector Thatcher is not a big fan of you right now.”

The Canadian was not intimidated.

“This has nothing to do with the fact that –“

The lawyer interrupted him by shouting harsh accusations, “Nothing to do? You think this is not related? I'll tell you what is the connection here, young man! Said inspector is ready to dispatch your Canadian ass back to the Yukon, and you have no way to stop her. You want to stay in the United States, but you can't. Then you meet Linda, a nice girl, but with, let’s say, limited intellectual capacity. Too bad she isn't rich. But she has something even more valuable to you: American citizenship. She is also not bad looking, quite easy on the eye, and if you do everything right, you can end up married to her and be the proud owner of a shiny Permanente Residence card. Yes, a green card, which makes you eligible to American citizenship. In three months, you claim she has had a relapse, then ditch the wifey in some mental institution – public, of course, because you would not spend money on her – and leave her there to die, but not before you file for divorce filled with allegations about her mental instability. With a good lawyer, you are totally free and documented to live legally in the United States. Not bad, eh?”

The Canadian was totally red. Fists clenched on his knees, jaws locked in anger, Fraser controlled himself to the utmost not to burst with ire, and barely managed to speak, through clenched teeth, “This is _absurd_. I never...”

Miss Weiner interrupted him, with a much gentler expression in her face, “Of course you would never do that, Constable. But that kind of argument is exactly what you may face if you marry Linda so suddenly. I am sorry.”

Linda was huddled in her chair, silently trembling. Fraser asked, “Linda, are you okay?”

She looked terrified. She lifted her head to face Fraser, her eyes full of pain, and then turned to the lawyer, “Is this how it is going to be in the audience?”

The three looked at each other. Miss Weiner said, “Linda, I will not lie to you. Yes, it can be like that. I'm sorry to say this. We've talked before, and you know they can come with a lot of hostility. Are you still willing to do it?”

Linda looked at the lawyer, her lips pressed together, then she inhaled loudly and replied, “I'll do the best I can, Miss Weiner.”

The lawyer smiled and looked at Dr. Lennyard, who gave her a confident smile. Fraser bent down to kiss Linda's hands between hers, and watched the girl's cheeks turn pink. Public displays of affection still embarrassed her.


	29. Chapter 29

## Chapter 29

About a month later, the hearing was held. Miss Weiner had already warned Linda that the judge should be addressed as Your Honor, and that before the hearing she would be separated from all other witnesses. So that she would not be completely alone, Frannie agreed to stay with the girl in a small room until Linda was called to testify. Linda was very nervous and the youngest of the Vecchios started talking nonstop about makeup, cosmetics, clothes and several other things to distract her about what would happen in the courtroom.

Despite all that, Linda was very nervous when a bailiff came to get her. Frannie hugged her and gave her best wishes, then the officer took her into the hall. As soon as she crossed the big doors, she saw an older man in a high chair (probably the judge) in front of a table. On one side of the table there were Miss Weiner, Dr. Lennyard, on the other side there were a couple and her father. Behind the table, at the back of the room, there were a few chairs, and there were Fraser, Ray, Mrs. Sorelli, and four other people that Linda didn't know.

Her attention was distracted by the man's voice, “You can sit here, Miss Linda.” She turned, and saw that the judge was talking to her, pointing to a chair near him. “It is all right.”

She sat down, obediently, and obviously her nervousness was showing, because the first thing the judge said was, “Linda, this is just a conversation, so you don't have to be nervous. The court needs to evaluate you in order to make a decision. Do you understand what that means?”

“Yes, er,” She hesitated. “I ... Sorry, I forgot what I should call you. Is it Your… Highness?”

Some muffled laughter was heard in the room, and the judge smiled softly, before saying, “You can call me just sir or Judge Reynolds.”

Linda was so relieved that she smiled and decided that it would be better to avoid looking elsewhere than the judge and answered, “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

“Linda, do you know why you're here?”

“Yes, sir. You need to know me better so you can decide whether I should continue my treatment with Dr. Lennyard or whether I should be handed over to my natural father.”

“What do you think about that, Linda?”

“I'm very nervous about it, sir.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I'm ... terrified.”

“Why are you terrified, Linda?”

“I do not remember much of the time when I lived with my father, sir, except that I was always sad and afraid. I was very small when I was taken away from him. I don't want to live in fear and sadness anymore.”

“Do you think that's what will happen if you move in with him?”

“I think so, yes, sir.”

“Linda, have you ever had a family?”

“I was too young to remember having one.”

“Don't you think it would be good to have a family?”

Linda didn't seem the least bit excited about the idea, “I don't know, sir. As I said, I never had one. But I like my life now.”

The judge consulted some papers on her desk and said, “It says here that you have special permission from your doctor to take a job, and you live in a small apartment, outside the institution. Is that true?”

“Yes, sir, and I take my own medication every day.”

“That's really good, Linda. Your superior says that your work is very good.”

“Mrs. Sorelli is a very kind person, Judge Reynolds.”

“And you've been having a hard time lately. Your name has appeared in police reports and some occurrences.”

Linda had the answer on the tip of her tongue, “Things like that happen in a big city like Chicago, sir.”

The judge looked at her and she smiled candidly at him. But he did not forget the question, “So you don't believe this is a consequence of your friendship with Constable Fraser or with Detective Vecchio?”

“Of course not, sir. They would never do anything to hurt me. I'm sure of it. They're the best friends I've ever had.”

“And who takes care of your health?”

“It's Dr. Lennyard.”

“No, I mean every day.”

“It's me. I take my meds every day.”

“You do it yourself? What if you forget?”

“I do not forget. Dr. Lennyard was very specific about this. I know I have to follow the rules, otherwise I can go back to the institution.”

“You don't want to go back there, do you?”

“No sir.”

“Don't you like it there?”

“The drugs they give me make me dizzy. Then I can't take care of myself. I like being able to take care of myself. I don't want to be a burden to anyone.”

Judge Reynolds smiled. “You are very nice, Linda, and I find it hard to believe that you are a burden to anyone. Now the bailiff is going to take you to a chair at the back of the room right there. You can sit there.”

“Thank you, sir.”

She was taken to the back of the room, and as she walked, she avoided looking at her father. Nervously, she sat between Ray and Fraser. The Canadian held her hands, which were sweaty, and she realized how much she needed him to touch her, to ensure her strength and support.

Then two more people were called. One was Mrs. Sorelli, and the other, a doctor that Linda had never seen before. His name was Lachen. Linda didn't even hear what he said.

Ray hugged Linda, and smiled at her. Suddenly, Judge Reynolds said something that Linda couldn't hear. After that, everyone stood up, while the judge left the room. Linda stood up too and whispered to Ray, “What happened? What did he say?”

“That sentence will be pronounced soon”. Ray looked at her and kissed her head. “It will be over soon.”

"Great," said Linda. "I want to go home.”

Everyone sat down again. Fraser was quiet, and Linda noticed that he was moving his thumb over his eyebrow. He didn't always do that.

_He's worried,_ thought Linda. Then she took both his hands inside hers and he looked into her eyes. They were filled with love and trust, and he felt a lump in his throat. Linda said, “I love you, Ben. I love you more than forever.”

Too moved, Fraser could only hug her and kiss the top of her head, saying, “I love you too, Linda.”

They stood together, holding each other, oblivious to the angry looks that crossed the room, coming from her father's party. She rested her head on Fraser's broad chest, silently praying that it would all end soon, as Ray had predicted. All of that suffering would be worth it, if her father could be removed from her life for good.

Then the bailiff's cry returned her to reality, “All rise!”

Linda felt her heart racing when she saw Judge Reynolds return to the room. He slowly returned to her seat, and only after taking a deep breath, said, “Please, be seated.”

When everyone had stopped moving, the judge sighed again and said, “You know; this case is so far from an usual custody case. We are talking about the custody of a grown person, one who now looks cognizant and articulated. I could stretch this procedure for a long time, asking for tests from different doctors, evaluations from social workers and whatnots. But I don't think any of that would be in Linda’s best interest. And her best interest is the _only_ thing that concerns me. So I will cut to the chance and go straight to the point. I think Dr. Lennyard and his team have made a remarkable job for this girl. Linda seems to be smart, articulated and motivated. She shows amazing social skills and an exceptional capacity of socialization for a person with a past of hospitalization to a mental asylum. That is why I decided that greater contact with her natural family would only bring additional benefits to her condition. It is the decision of this court that the applicant be granted temporary custody of his daughter, of exactly six months, which cannot be extended. At the end of that period, an assessment will be made at this court to make custody permanent or not. The former legal guardians are absolutely prohibited from approaching her. Visits will not be allowed, so that Linda can experience true family life. This court will severely punish any abuse, disobedience or violation of these rules.” He hit the gavel on his table. “Court is adjourned.”

It seemed to Linda that things were moving like a nightmare. The reality turned liquid. Miss Weiner immediately stood up and said, “Your Honor, I would like to file an appeal!”

The judge was already getting off the bench when he replied, “Then use the legal channels, Miss Weiner.”

Linda turned to Fraser, who was white as a sheet of paper, “I don't understand, Ben. What did he say? What does it mean?”

Fraser looked ahead, a little without reaction, while everyone in the room moved and Ray shook all over. Linda could see that something very bad was going on, but she still couldn't say exactly what. The Italian had green eyes full of pain when he replied, “Linda, we lost.”

She was shocked.

“What?! Ben, Ben, what ... Benny, it can't ...”

The Mountie turned to her, and his voice sounded broken, “Linda, please, my love, try to calm down.”

She started to feel afraid, very afraid, “Say this is not true, Ben ... _Please_ ...”

Suddenly, everything around her seemed to close, the walls as they bent over her and she couldn't quite hear what Ben was saying. But she tried to pay attention. She just didn't believe the words he said.

“Benny, what are you saying? That I have to go with ... _them?_ ”

"I'm afraid so, Linda." He looked devastated. “I will do everything I can to reverse the situation.”

Tears started to fall down her cheeks.

“Ben, I don't want to go.”

Fraser was sure he could hear his heart breaking inside his chest at the mere sound of Linda's request. He put her in his arms and said, “We need to be strong, Linda. Please. It was the judge's order.”

She started to cry, without even realizing it, the words muffled in his chest, “I love you, Ben!”

“I love you too, my sweet Linda. Never, _ever,_ doubt it.”

A strange male voice said, “Time to go, Linda.”

Fraser could feel Linda's body shudder at the sound of the voice and looked around. Her father, Stanley Renner, was accompanied by an unknown woman and a police officer. Fraser tried to separate himself from Linda, saying, in a patient voice, as if she were talking to a child, “Linda. Linda, please. I’m afraid we have to go now.”

She was sobbing, and the unknown lady hugged her tenderly, trying to calm her with words to sooth her. But Linda was unable to stop the crying. She didn't believe she was being taken away, and she looked over the girl's shoulder, searching for Fraser and calling, “NOO! Ben! _Ben!”_

Fraser called, “Linda!”

Ray had to restrain him.

“Benny! Benny, we will bring her back.”

Outside the courtroom, the unknown lady was dragging a very resistant Linda away when the two were intercepted by the doctor named Lachen, who said, “Hello, Linda. I think you will need something to feel better.”

An injection! She shrieked seeing the syringe, struggling to escape, but she was strongly held and the needle went inside in her skin, and she screamed even louder, to no avail: the drug quickly took effect, leaving her half-conscious. If she were fully awake, she would have seen her father's look at Fraser and Ray, warning between his teeth, “You heard the judge. If you try to get close to her, I'll send you both to jail and see that they throw away the key. Now she is _mine_.”

Something in his voice made Ray want to jump on the man, and this time Fraser had to restrain his Italian friend or the situation might degenerate into a legitimate brawl. Meanwhile, Linda's unconscious body was put in a car that would take her to her new and unwanted home.


	30. Chapter 30

## Chapter 30

Linda felt very bad when she woke up. There was a strange taste in her mouth.

“Hello, Linda.”

She jumped at the sound of the unexpected voice. It was that unknown lady that had been in the court of law with the judge. Now she was looking at Linda with huge brown eyes. She smiled at Linda.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Donna. I'll take care of you from now on. How do you feel?”

“My stomach hurts.”

“Here.” Donna took a glass of milk that was next to her and gave it to the girl. “That should soothe your stomach.”

Linda took the glass and sipped the liquid without taking her eyes off the woman, who appeared to be just a little older than herself. Linda returned the empty glass, saying, “Thank you, Miss Donna.”

“You don't have to call me miss, Linda. We are friends. I want to take good care of you, because that's what friends do.”

Linda decided to think about it later. She looked around, “Where am I?”

“In your new home, Linda. This is your new room. Do you like it?”

Linda hardly believed what she was hearing. She looked around with new eyes. Was that all hers? There was a nightstand, a wonderful dressing table, a graceful dresser, stuffed animals on beautiful shelves and nice curtains framing the window that looked out onto a park. Linda had never had things like these before. She said shyly, “It's very nice.”

Donna reached out to Linda and invited, “Come with me and I will show you the house.”

The girl followed her new friend into that strange home. It was a spacious apartment with a beautiful living room, a sitting room with a television, a large kitchen, then her father's room with a bathroom just for him and yet another room for guests, besides Linda's room. It was huge, compared to the one-bedroom apartment where Linda lived. She had the impression that she could get lost in there. There were so many beautiful things there, and everything was so new to her. Linda also noticed that her father was not at home. She asked sheepishly, “Is there no one at home?”

Donna replied, “Most of the day, we will be alone, you and I, because your father is working at that time. But we can go out, walk and do a lot of things together. In the evening, your father will be home.”

Linda couldn't help wincing. Donna asked, “Are you hungry?”

“No, actually, I ...”

“Ah, I doubt it. You haven't eaten anything all day.”

Donna cooked for Linda, and the girl realized that she was really hungry. Then Donna suggested, “How about a hot bath, Linda?”

“Good, but I don't have clothes.”

“There's a closet full of clothes in your room. They're all yours.”

She was speechless, and ended up taking a bath. She always thought the bathtub was for sick people. Then she realized: Donna was treating her as if she was sick.

She said, “I'm not sick.”

“What?”

“I said I'm not sick. I can take care of myself.”

“I can see that. But that's what I was hired to do. Don't you think it's cool to have help?”

“Yes, but I don't need it.”

“Your father has to work, Linda. You would be alone all day. Think of me as company.”

Linda blushed, “I used to keep a lady company. But it was only part time. She was a very kind lady.”

Donna smiled.

“And you're a good girl. Now let's get dry and maybe we can walk a little. So you know the neighborhood. What do you say?”

It didn't take Linda long to discover that Donna was great company. Walking around the blocks near the building was also very pleasant. The neighborhood was totally different from the ones she was used to, with parks, little children playing and lots of trees, squirrels and birds chirping. It was a festival for her senses.

The two soon returned home, and Linda looked around. Everything was so different, so new. It seemed to her that she was being introduced to a whole new world. Only ... she didn't belong in that world.

“Excuse me.”

And she ran to the room they told her was hers.

“Linda!” Donna sensed something wrong and went after the girl. “Linda, are you okay?”

At first she thought Linda was not there. Donna found the girl huddled in a ball, in the corner of the bedroom, crying without making a sound, tears already streaking her cheeks. The nurse felt sorry for the girl, and approached her with extreme care and affection.

“Oh, Linda ... It's okay, Linda. Okay ... You're scared, right? You can cry. But I don't want to hurt you. You don't have to be afraid of me.”

Linda realized that she was being very rude to Donna, who had been so good to her. Oh, she was hurting Donna and it was unfair.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, trying to stop crying, but she couldn't. “I didn't want to ... But my friends ... I miss them so m-much ...”

“Oh, Linda, I'm so sorry. Of course you are scared and you miss your friends. Do you mind if I hug you?”

The girl did not answer, but neither did she run away when her nurse wrapped her in his arms right there on the floor. She tried to get Linda to speak, so she would stop crying. But the girl just cried, and that was for a long time, before she felt tired. Then the hiccups began to spread.

Donna asked, “Do you want to eat something, Linda?” She shook her head. “Maybe just a sandwich. How about that? I will get it for you.”

“No, please. Do not go.”

The girl was still in her arms, feeling almost caressed. But there was a hole in her heart, and it seemed like nothing was going to fill it. Linda missed Fraser, Ray and everyone else so much. She also felt tired, and saw that night was falling. Donna put her on the bed and said, “Look, I'm going to bring your medicine now, okay? It should help you get some rest.”

Linda did not answer. She took the pill and was grateful to be able to fall into a merciful sleep that would avoid the pain of loneliness a little.

When Linda woke up, it was late night. Everything was dark and she got out of bed carefully, opening the bedroom door slowly. The whole house was dark, so she figured it must be very late at night. She was very hungry, but she was afraid to go to the kitchen to get something to eat. Overcoming fear, she tiptoed down the hall, but a noise from her father's room made her flee back to her room and hide under the bed, shivering. So she laid there, shivering, thinking about how much she missed Ray and Fraser, and ended up falling asleep again.

The sound of the door opening woke her suddenly. It was already morning.

“Linda?” The voice was Donna's. “Are you here?”

She got out from under the bed, curled up.

“What are you doing down there?” asked Donna. “Did you fall off the bed?”

Embarrassed, Linda nodded and the nurse said, “It’s all right, I guess. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good. We have a very busy day ahead, so why not choose an outfit so you can take a shower before breakfast?”

“K.”

“Want me to choose the outfit for you?”

_This is silly, thought Linda. I am not sick and I am not a child. I don't like being treated like that._ But it was not worth fighting for just that.

“No, thank you. I can choose my clothes.”

“Great! While you get dressed, I can fix us breakfast.”

Linda did as she was asked. Then, clean and dressed, she went into the kitchen, where she could hear Donna making coffee. Linda was so hungry that her stomach was starting to hurt. But as soon as she set foot in the kitchen, she stopped.

Her father was sitting at the table, with a cup of coffee in one hand and the daily paper in the other. He looked at her and said, “Good morning.”

Linda started to shake. Her first impulse was to run and hide, but there was no safe place. She looked at Donna, silently pleading for help, her eyes rising with unshed tears. But she realized that he lived there, so it was logical that she would have to meet him sooner or later. She had forgotten that.

Why couldn't it have been later?

"You may sit down, Linda," Donna said, unaware of the girl's anguish. "It's almost done.”

She sat as far away from her father as possible, not even daring to look at him, keeping her head down all the time, her breathing short, her eyes pained. Donna served her soft-boiled eggs, saying, “I hope you like it as I prepared it.”

“T-Thanks.”

“I'll get some orange juice. Do you like it?”

“Yes, please.”

“Great.”

Linda attacked her food, and for a few minutes she managed to forget her father's presence just inches from her. But he was in charge of remembering it, folding the newspaper and saying, “I'm sorry, I can't stay any longer. Donna, be sure to mention to Dr. Lachen about what we talked about.”

“Yes, Mr. Renner.”

“Have a nice day, girls.”

And left. Linda was relieved, of course, but she was intrigued, because the man looked almost civil. However, she thought it best not to comment. Then she helped Donna clean the kitchen and the two left.

They took the bus and went downtown. Linda's heart started to race as soon as the vehicle entered Wabash Avenue, as this was a place she knew. Maybe she could meet some acquaintance, some of her friends, with luck ...

Donna interrupted her thoughts, “This is a trip we're going to take often, Linda. We're on our way to Dr. Lachen's office.”

“Dr. Lachen? But ... I have ... my doctor.”

“Your father wants him to take care of you going from now on. Your dad just wants what's best for you.”

_Allow me to disagree._

Linda lowered her head because she didn't want to argue with Donna. She had been rude to Donna once, twice it would be unforgivable. Donna was very good to her.

When they got there, Linda waited in the room for a while, then was taken to see Dr. Lachen alone. It was the man who had given him the injection in court on the day of the hearing. As soon as she saw him, she took a deep, frightened breath and instinctively froze with fear. He laughed softly, “I see you remember me. Relax, Linda, I'm not going to give you any shots. I'm sorry about that, but you need to understand that you needed to be restrained. I hope there are no hard feelings, since I will be treating you from now on.”

Linda thought it best not to answer. The doctor continued, “How was your first day with your father? You can tell me.”

"I met Donna," replied the girl. “She is cool.”

“Glad you and Donna are getting along. What else can you tell me?”

She had something to say. Then she said, even though she knew she would be petulant, “I miss my home, my friends, my job.”

“Oh, I bet you do. It’s only natural. And I'm glad you told me, Linda. After all, it is a natural reaction. Now we can talk about it with sincerity. Do you have any questions?”

Linda couldn't help herself, “When am I going home? When can I see my friends? How much longer do I have to stay with him?”

"Take it easy now." The doctor was smiling, and Linda realized she didn't like his smile. “You must stay with your father because the judge ordered you to stay. You understand that, don't you?” She nodded. “You also understand that your friends can be in great danger if they try to see you, don’t you?”

“How’s so?”

“The judge was very clear about that. They cannot get near you. If they disobey, they can end up in jail, and you don't want that, do you?”

Linda widened her eyes and went pale, imagining Fraser and Ray behind bars, then shook her head, very emphatically.

“That's what I thought”. said the doctor. “So it seems that you and I will have to obey the judge's orders. It means that you will live with your father for at least six months, and I will be your doctor during that time. I know you're used to taking your own medicine, but I think it would be better to let the nurse take care of that for now, okay?”

Linda tried not to sound like a complaint when she replied, “’kay.”

“Great. I think we're going to get along really well, Linda, I can see that. You need to trust me completely. If you have any problems, you can talk to me. I'm here to help you. Understand it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. Now can you please tell Donna to come in? I’d like to speak to her.”

Linda did as she was asked with a bad feeling in her stomach. She waited until Donna spoke to the doctor, then the two girls left and Linda experienced something she had rarely done: walking around downtown Chicago during the day. They had lunch outside, and all the while Linda still had a secret hope that they would find some of her friends. She was not so lucky.

This time they took the El to return part of the way. They still had almost two blocks to walk when Donna said, “I thought it would be better if we walk a lot these first days for you to know the neighborhood.”

“It's very nice here,” said Linda. “Many beautiful things.”

“And parks. We can have a lot of fun.”

Linda noticed a stone building with a very distinctive architecture.

“Is that a church?”

Donna stretched her neck and said, “Yes, it's St. Michael's. Are you Catholic?”

“No, but my friend Ray is. He says he used to go to church when he had a problem. He said that talking to a priest helped him.”

Donna invited, “Come on, let's go over there.”

Linda was impressed when she entered the church. It was so beautiful and so big inside. Donna whispered, “Never been to a church?”

“Ray took me once, but he was on a case. We didn't stay long. Do we have to whisper?”

Donna nodded. “Not only is it a sign of respect, but there is also a lot of echo here. It would make a lot of noise.”

“Oh.” Linda stayed silent for a minute, then said. “Donna?”

“Yes, Linda?”

“Do you mind if I talk to a priest?”

The nurse seemed to be intrigued by the unexpected request. But then she softened her expression and said, “Of course not. Come on, I think we can find one over there, close to the confessionals.”

They found a priest. He was a tall man who said his name was Father Mulcahey. He took Linda to the sacristy and explained to Linda that she could not be heard in confession, because she was not even Catholic, nor baptized, nor those things. Linda said it was okay, that all she wanted to do was talk, because she missed her friends, and there was nothing she could do, because then they would be arrested, and she feared what her father might do, and in fact, she was terrified of her father.

Once he understood what the girl was talking about, Father Mulcahey helped a lot. Linda cried a little, but when she left the sacristy about 20 minutes later, she felt much better. Donna hugged her, thanked Father Mulcahey very much, and they left. Linda enjoyed the conversation and expressed her desire to talk to the priest more often. It was a drop of relief in what appeared to be an ocean of despair.


	31. Chapter 31

## Chapter 31

When Linda and Donna arrived home, it was late afternoon. Donna prepared a quick meal for the two of them and Linda looked apprehensively as the sun went down. She obeyed Donna and took a shower, then put on brand new pajamas. It was night when she was finished, and Donna gave her the medicine prescribed by Dr. Lachen. They were watching television when her father came home. In a reflex, Linda ran to the bedroom and crawled into bed. Donna followed her, “Linda?”

She was under the covers, shivering. Donna sat on the bed, asking. “Linda, what's wrong?”

"Nothing," she lied, her voice muffled under the covers. "It's time for me to sleep. You have to go home.”

Donna immediately realized what was the problem.

“Linda, please. Go say hello to your dad.”

“No!”

“Linda, this is not nice. And you are such a nice girl. It is unbecoming of you.”

“No ... Please... Don't make me.”

“No, I won't. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do, Linda. But I expected you to realize that your father likes you. He went to court to fight to have you near him, bought this beautiful house, and gave you all the best, Linda. The way you treat him doesn't seem fair. Why don't you think about it?”

“Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“I see you tomorrow. Good night.”

“K.”

Linda didn't move, and she heard Donna and her father talking, then the front door closed. The sound was the signal for Linda to jump out of bed and lock the door. Only ... the door had no lock! Probably to prevent it from locking up.

_Well, that leaves me no choice, right?_

She protected herself under the bed. On the bed, she would be very vulnerable. And she wasn't going to let herself be so vulnerable to that man. Then she took the blankets and the pillow. It was better to spend the night sleeping under the bed. And so she did, with a light sleep, alert to any noise.

The next morning was very similar to the previous one, the day went in much the same way. She spoke to Father Mulcahey again, and felt truly blessed. At night, there was the terror of being left alone with the father. The next days seemed to repeat themselves. Friday, however, was a day of shocking news. Linda was terrified.

“NO!”

“Linda, it's a weekend. I don’t work on weekends.”

“Then take me with you, please. I'll be very quiet. I will not be a bother! Please! Take me with you! Don’t leave me!”

The girl was on the brink of tears, and Donna was really heartbroken. She hugged Linda and said, “Linda, listen to me. This is an excellent opportunity for you to approach your father. I don't know what you remember from your childhood, Linda, but I have to say that he always asks me about you, and he seems very concerned about your health.”

Linda trembled in her arms and whimpered, “I'm so scared, Donna, help me. Please.”

“I'm going to talk to him, okay? But you have to come with me.”

“No!”

“I'm not going to talk to him alone, Linda. I want you to see his reaction. You need to understand that he wouldn't gain anything if he hurt you. You need to promise me, okay? I will not speak to him unless you are with me, understand?”

Linda nodded reluctantly. She was afraid, but maybe it was a way to end the torment. Oh, how she wished she could be back in her little apartment, having dinner with her friends ...!

That night was even more fearful than the others. Linda had promised not to run and hide when her father arrived that night. She kept her promise.

Stanley Renner came in through the front door, took off his coat and put his briefcase on the table by the door when he greeted, “Good evening, ladies. I think autumn may come earlier this year. It's starting to get cold.”

Linda did not reply and subtly stood by Donna, who said, “Good evening, Mr. Renner. We already had dinner. Would you like me to fix something for you?”

He sat in an armchair in the living room and loosened his tie, saying, “No, Donna, thanks. Did you have a good day?”

“We did, thank you. Er ... Mr. Renner, I need your help.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Looks like our little girl doesn't want me to have time off.”

Stanley Renner looked at his daughter. Linda cringed behind Donna. He kept his voice carefully neutral, “What do you mean, Donna?”

“She's afraid to spend the weekend alone. In fact, she is afraid to spend the weekend with _you_.”

The man nodded, silent, and Linda stayed behind Donna, but without holding on to the nurse. The green eyes were focused on the source of her terror. Stanley Renner sighed and said, “Linda, I know you must be afraid. I don't blame you. That’s why I have been so patient with you. I have done some very ugly things in the past. But, just like you, I also have a doctor, and now I am much better. I feel so good that I believe I can take care of both of us. That’s the reason the judge sent you here. To see if we can be a family again. I have no intention of hurting you. You must know that the judge’s decision is not final. So, why would I risk my chances of being your permanent guardian? I’d lose your custody if I harmed you in any way.”

It made sense, Linda had to admit. Not only that: he was _talking_. Linda only remembered his voice screaming, and it sounded so different. He also didn't have that horrible smell that he used to have when she was a little girl.

“Do you understand what I'm saying, Linda?” Her father continued. “I will not hurt you. Believe it.”

She doesn't know where she found the strength to answer, she was so afraid, but even half-hidden behind her nurse, she replied, “I understand.” _It doesn’t mean I believe you,_ she thought.

Her father smiled (again, a first) and so did Donna, saying, “Linda, I'll see you Monday. Now be a good girl. Come on, I'll give you your medicine now.”

Linda started to shake again and her eyes filled with tears. Her father suggested, “Donna, why don't you show me where the meds are and I'll give them to Linda before she goes to sleep? I'm going to have to know where they are anyway.”

“Yes, Mr. Renner.”

Linda watched as the nurse explained to her father about her medication. Soon after, she took the pill her father gave her. As soon as Donna left, Linda went to her room and immediately fell asleep.

When Linda tried to get up in the next morning, she didn't seem to be feeling well. Her father came to see her, put his hand on her forehead and she felt like she was in a dream. He wrapped Linda up on the covers and ran with her out of the apartment. Then Linda fell asleep again.

The next time she woke up, Linda had an IV in her hand. She knew these things because she had worked in a hospital. Now she was in a hospital again, but as a patient. Her father was beside her bed, and he said they were taking good care of her. Without a word, Linda turned her back to him and fell asleep again.

Next time Linda was conscious, she was in her room, at home again. Dr. Lachen was taking her pulse, and Linda felt a little dizzy. The doctor greeted, “Hello Linda. How do you feel?”

“I'm sleepy.”

“You reacted to the medication. We are going to change it so it doesn't happen again, okay?”

“’K.”

“You know, you may feel that you are getting a little fat, but this is natural, understand? It is another effect of the remedy.”

“Yes, Dr. Lachen.”

“Good girl. You don't have a fever anymore, and your pulse is strong. I will ask you to stay in bed only if you want. Would you like to try walking a little?”

Linda shook her head and asked, “Can I sleep some more?”

“Yes, but first you need to eat something. Are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“But you need to eat anyway. Your father is making some soup.”

She ate very little, embarrassed by her father's proximity, and then went back to sleep. She was really very sleepy, but for some reason she thought of Ben. She missed him so much. Then sleep overcame her and Linda thought no more.

The next morning, Donna woke Linda up, and she was feeling better, but since the weather was not good, they decided to spend the day at home. Linda complained she wanted to see Father Mulcahey, and Donna promised that they would go the next day. They spent the day making cookies and talking. Linda soon got tired and was asleep by the time her father arrived.

Linda woke up the next morning feeling rested, and Donna was happy. She felt that Linda was no longer as sad as she was when she arrived. The girl was really looking forward to going to church, and the sunny day helped make the walk through the park near St. Michael's church even more enjoyable. Talking to Father Mulcahey was great, because she told him everything about Ben and Ray, and their other friends, what they were like, what they did, and how much she missed them. Each time she did this, it was as if she were close to them again. Linda explained the situation again and again to Father Mulcahey. As always, he asked her to return again at that same hour.

A routine soon became established, and Linda began to relax more in her father's presence, even during weekends. Not that there was a feeling of family, but she even risked smiling at him. He seemed to like it, but he had sad eyes. As sad as Linda's. She started to imagine if she looked like her mother. He never spoke of her.

Visits to Father Mulcahey helped more than consultations with Dr. Lachen. Linda couldn't trust the doctor, no matter how hard she tried. She missed Dr. Lennyard terribly.

Then there was the surprise.

As usual, Father Mulcahey left Donna on the church’s great hall and took Linda to the sacristy. That's how they always did it, and Linda knew they couldn't use confessionals because she was not Catholic. This time, however, in front of the sacristy door, the priest stopped and said, “Linda, I have a surprise for you.”

“Really? Which surprise?”

“Well, if I said it, it would be no surprise. But you need to make me a promise. This is a secret and it has to remain that way. You need to promise not to tell anyone about it, not even Donna.”

“Why?”

“Because it's a very _secret_ secret.” Linda was amazed. “Now you can go in there. I hope you like the surprise.”

Apprehensively, she opened the sacristy door and entered the room. There was someone there, a man with his back turned. The man showed himself when the door closed. And Linda couldn't believe her own eyes.

“Ray ...!”

Without even realizing it, she ran to his arms and almost knocked him over. When she could think again, she was sobbing in his arms, repeating his name, touching him. The Italian was thrilled, too, and said, in a shaky voice, “Hey, girl. Are you trying to ruin my jacket?”

Trying to stop her tears, Linda managed to say, “Ray, I'm so happy to see you ...”

He made her sit on the couch in the sacristy and sat next to her, saying, “I see you're fine. You even put on some weight! Ma will be happy to know it.”

Linda said, without stopping touching him, “I miss her so much. And Frannie. Maria and Tony and the children, too.”

“Everyone sent their best.” Ray smiled. “They miss you, too.”

“Where's Ben?”

“He's in Ottawa. That's why he couldn't come.”

Linda's heart almost stopped when she heard that. She felt a cold hand squeezing her chest, but managed to ask, in a whisper, “He ... has returned to Canada?”

“Just for a few days”, said Ray. “He had to extradite a criminal. I couldn't wait until he came back, because the risk would be great for Father Mulcahey. If someone finds out, he could be in trouble. We must be very careful.”

“I know that. Ray, you can end up in _jail!”_

“Only if someone finds out. And by the way, is that woman your bodyguard, or what? She doesn't leave you alone!”

“She's my nurse, Ray. My father insists I have one.”

“Are you okay?” Ray looked at her carefully to ask. “Is your father treating you well?”

“He has treated me well, Ray,” she reassured, seeing the Italian green eyes full of concern. “He said he would not risk losing the lawsuit for my permanent custody.”

“Anyway, you know what to do, don't you? Remember what I told you to do?”

“I remember, Ray. I must escape from him, then run as fast as I can and call 911.”

“What if that does not work out?”

“If I can't escape, I have to shout as loud as I can to call the neighbors’ attention.”

“This is my girl.” Ray smiled and hugged her again. “Too bad we don't have much time.”

Linda snuggled into his arms, “I wish I could go home with you, Ray.”

“We're working on it, Linda. Remember that, okay? Now we cannot do much, and you may think that we have forgotten you, but that is not true. We are working hard and doing everything to bring you back. But this needs to be done according to the rules, understand?”

“I see, Ray.” She smiled and touched his face. “I had even forgotten how good you smelled.”

He laughed and said, “You spent too much time with Benny.”

“Ray, is he okay? I have missed him so much.”

The Italian dropped his smile and said, “He also misses you a lot, Linda. It has been tough on him. He feels like he abandoned you when you needed him most.”

“No, it's not his fault!”

“That's what I try to tell him. But Benny ... You know how he is.”

Linda started to cry again.

“I miss him so much, Ray. Why can't I see him?”

“You know what the judge said. And Benny still doesn’t know about this scheme we’ve put together with Father Mulcahey. It was Father Biehn who set this up. Who knows, maybe Benny can come next time?”

“I don't know if he would come, Ray. It would be breaking the law.”

“Linda, maybe Fraser wants to take a chance. It would be difficult for him to break the law, but when I tell him that I have been with you and that I spoke to you, maybe he will accept it. But you better not wait. If we get caught ...”

“We won't be! I will not say anything! Not even a word. I promise, Ray”. She hugged him again. “Are you taking care of Diefenbaker?”

“Yes, I am.”

“So don't forget to give him carrots. He needs vitamins for his fur. And don't forget that Lieutenant Welsh likes his decaffeinated cappuccino. Did Elaine cut her hair as she wanted?”

“How will I know?”

“Frannie must have commented.”

“No, she did not speak, or I did not hear, Linda, but you can rest assured. I will tell everyone that I spoke to you.”

She suddenly remembered, “Important note: tell Dr. Lennyard that I have a new doctor. He changed the medicine, but I don't know the name, and then I ended up in a hospital. But now I'm fine.”

“What's the doctor's name?”

“It's the one who was in the audience. Lachen. He doesn’t let me take my own meds.”

“I'll get his file.”

“I don’t think it's the doctor's fault, Ray. It was just the medication. I reacted badly. It happens.”

“You're such a peach. But don't let your guard down.”

At that moment, they heard a knock on the door. Ray said, “It's Father Mulcahey's signal. You better go now.”

Linda threw herself into his arms.

“I love you, Ray.”

“I love you too, girl. I’ll try to bring Benny next time, OK?”

“Please, do it. Tell him that I love him.”

“I will. Now go, before it gets any more complicated.”

Linda reluctantly left the sacristy and was greeted by Father Mulcahey, with a smile, “I hope you enjoyed the surprise.”

She couldn't help herself and hugged the priest, too, in tears. He said, “Now, Linda, if that's how you're going to behave, I won't be able to prepare any of those surprises anymore. You would like more, wouldn't you?

Linda nodded and tried to contain her tears. Then she tried to explain, “I am sorry. I just…”

“Yes, I know. But we better go now. Your friend is waiting.”

He took her to the place where Donna was waiting, and Linda wiped away her tears. Father Mulcahey suggested, “You should bring your father too, someday. On Sundays we have mass.”

Donna said, “I think I'll suggest that, Father. Again, I am very grateful for your kindness to Linda.”

“She's a lovely girl. And he comes to the church more regularly than many of my parishioners.”

The nurse asked, “Ready to go, Linda?”

The girl nodded and, on impulse, hugged Father Mulcahey again.

“Thank you.”

The two girls left the church and Linda looked around the courtyard. There was no sign of the Riv. Either Ray was already out of the back, or he had hidden the car. What a smart cop.

Seeing Ray had been one of those dubious blessings. On the one hand, it had been great to see him, to touch him. She had missed him so much! On the other hand, the visit had reminded her that she missed not only Ray but also Benny, Dief, and their friends. And she couldn't say anything to anyone. Donna only noticed that Linda was quieter that day, but she couldn't identify the reason.


	32. Chapter 32

## Chapter 32

Loud voices woke Linda the next morning. Tiptoeing, she opened the bedroom door and heard her father yelling at Donna. Acting on pure instinct, she ran in pajamas and all and used her own body to protect Donna, shouting angrily to her father.

“Don't hurt Donna!”

The nurse tried to calm her down, “No, Linda, everything is fine! It's all right!”

With her body shaking with anger and fear, Linda asked her friend, without taking her eyes off her father, frowning, “Did he hurt you? I won't let him hurt you!”

Donna turned Linda so she could hear her and said, “Linda, listen. I am not hurt. Your father and I were just having a disagreement about a decision he made about you.”

“About me?” Linda looked at her father, who made no effort to keep the conversation going.

“He wants you to stop going to St. Michael’s.”

Linda almost panicked and turned directly to the man, her eyes full of pain and hurt.

“You will not let me go to the church? Why not? I don’t understand!”

Her father said, “Linda, you are not going there for religious reasons. It is not fair for priests, who have been so kind to talk to you, even if you're not of their religion.”

"I _am_ going there for religious reasons," she insisted, almost in tears. “We talk about God and all that stuff. Father Mulcahey even said that I was almost ... a ... a paris owner.”

"Parishioner," corrected Donna.

"Well, in any case, I'm not Catholic and neither are you," said Stanley Renner. "Besides, you're saying things to this priest that Dr. Lachen should know. It is not his job.”

Linda was now begging, “Please, _please_ , let me go there! Please let me do this!”

“You won’t go there anymore and this is final.” He said sternly. “And remember this: if you try to go there, I will know. Because I _know_ what happened there before, and I have ways of knowing what's going to happen.”

Those words made Linda stop, petrified, eyes wide. She ran into the bedroom, terrified to the last hair when she realized that her father _knew_ she had seen Ray at the church. He knew it, that’s why he forbade her to go there again. She cried too much that day, and refused to leave the apartment, also refused to speak to Donna, whining that it was not fair. Donna didn't quite understand what was going on either, but she held Linda and hugged her, trying to calm her down.

But Linda was out of control, beyond any consolation. Her only hope of seeing Ben was gone, as well as her friendship with Father Mulcahey. She valued the friendship with the religious man because it was totally apart from everything her father had given her. She felt free talking to the priest. But now it was over. Her father knew what she had done and he would not give her any relief. He seemed to know everything, seemed to be everywhere, looked like he would never leave her alone. If Linda imagined that things had been bad before, from now on they would be even worse, with him watching her every move. The prospect made the girl cry even more in despair. Eventually, the sobbing subsided, and by night Linda surrendered to tiredness, emotionally exhausted from crying all day.

The nurse watched the girl become more and more quiet after that episode. Linda's introspection worsened as the weeks passed. Her medication changed. Donna noticed that the girl rapidly gained a lot of weight, and lost some basic physical skills. She tried to encourage Linda to exercise, to no avail. Suddenly, Linda was unable to do the tasks she had always done. In no time, Donna noticed that she was also no longer able to maintain personal hygiene by herself. Talking to her about it only resulted in tears. It was clear to the nurse that medication played a very important role in Linda's withdrawal. Then Linda began to show signs of mental confusion. What was once casual has become habitual: on Mondays Linda was usually too ill to leave her bed.

On at least two occasions, Donna tried to alert Dr. Lachen of what was happening, as the professional in charge of Linda's care. Her suggestions and observations met with iron-clad resistance and the last time this happened, Donna decided that the best strategy at the moment was a discreet retreat. She could return to the subject later. So she took Linda from the waiting room and took a taxi home. They didn't take El or the bus anymore. And it wasn't just because of the snow that was starting to punish Chicago, but also because even short walks tired Linda quickly, from being so fat. Walking through the neighborhood was also an activity that had been lost, for the same reason.

That day, as soon as they got home, Donna bathed Linda, made sure she ate all of the dinner (she didn't do it alone anymore), and gave her the meds before putting her to bed. Upon seeing Linda sleeping, Donna felt a pain in her heart for everything the girl was going through. She had grown quite fond of Linda in those few months, and now she was becoming concerned about the girl's health.

On a Monday morning, when Donna arrived at the apartment, she saw that the key had some sort of problem. She couldn't open the door. Donna rang the bell and when Mr. Renner opened the door, she explained, “Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Renner, but it looks like my key has –“

He interrupted her, “Come in, Donna, please.”

She went in and found another lady in the apartment, about her age. She was in a nurse's uniform. Mr. Renner said, “Donna, this is Erica, and from now on she will be your replacement. I will pay you now the rest of this month's salary, plus next month's salary and a Christmas bonus. Effective immediately, I relieve you of all duties over my daughter.”

Donna didn't quite understand, “Wait. Are you _firing_ me?”

“I believe I said exactly that.”

“But why? I thought you liked my work.”

Renner's voice was unperturbed and neutral. “You became a liability. You are questioning the methods of the doctor I chose and the medicine he prescribed. How will I know if you are really going to give my daughter the medication that her doctor ordered? What if you decide that the medicine will hurt Linda and not give her what she needs? I will not risk it, and I will not allow that.”

“But Mr. Renner, I am a professional; I would _never_ –“

He interrupted her again, “Donna, I want you to know that I am very grateful to you for your dedication to my daughter. She likes you very much.”

“Mr. Renner, please, I don't –“

“You can go now, Donna.” He wasn't aggressive, but the order was clear. “But please don't come back. I'm afraid Linda might get agitated if she sees you.”

Donna looked at him and saw only determination in the clear eyes, which had no resemblance to the sweetness of Linda's. Then she sighed and said, “I see, sir. I'm sorry to have displeased you. I only thought about Linda. Please see that she walks regularly. She complains, but needs the exercise.”

“I'll take care of her, Donna. Thanks for everything.”

“Say goodbye to her for me, please. I will miss her.”

“Goodbye, Donna.”

The nurse left the apartment building with a distinct feeling of uneasiness. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong to Linda, but there was still something wrong about the whole thing. _Maybe those friends Linda always talked about might know something. What was that friend's name? Ray ... Vecchio, something like that. At the police. Maybe I can find him._

*** * ***

Only years of training in one of the best police forces in the entire Northern Hemisphere kept him immobile as he waited to be called into the office. Fraser had come as soon as Dr. Lennyard's request had been received at the consulate.

“Constable Fraser, thanks for coming. But I thought you would want to be the first to know.”

“Dr. Lennyard, what happened? Your message was not very informative.”

“Miss Weiner just got a call from Mr. Renner's lawyer. They want to anticipate Linda's hearing and return her custody to the state.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Essentially, they're giving up on Linda. Apparently her father said he trusted the wrong people and the doctor gave her the wrong treatment. She has taken ill, that is all I know.”

"We already knew that," said Fraser. "That former nurse, Donna, told us that she was getting worse every day. And that was before Christmas.”

“Yes, and after what happened...” Dr. Lennyard avoided mentioning Fraser's attempt to bring the girl back. The Mountie had almost been arrested, accused of attempted kidnapping, and threatened with deportation – it came quite close of becoming an international diplomatic incident. The doctor went on, “Well, it seems that now Mr. Renner is extremely sorry for everything he has done and wants to fix things.”

Fraser recalled, “The court order is still valid for the six-month custody period. He has a few weeks left.”

“They don’t want to wait that long, on account of Linda’s health. I'm meeting with Miss Weiner and we will ask permission to go see Linda in Renner’s apartment. In the presence of his lawyer, of course.”

Fraser looked at the psychiatrist, who shook his head before he even opened his mouth, “Before you ask, no, I'm sorry, but you can't go.”

“I figured not. “He lowered his head. “Could you tell me how it all turned out?”

“I'll call the Consulate.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“We are getting her back, Constable. It will not be long now. Trust that.”

Fraser smiled at him, nodded, and left the office, Diefenbaker following him. The wolf was concerned about his human partner and yelped. Linda's scent was registered in the lupine nostrils, and he could feel Fraser's thoughts on her. He was getting anxious.

At least now Fraser seemed more in control. He had reacted very badly to the forced separation and for a time he was even more withdrawn than usual. Ray had to work hard to bring him back to the outside world. When Ray told him that he had seen Linda and had talked to her, Fraser freaked. Then they went to see Father Mulcahey. The priest had no good news. He had been surprised to receive the visit of two gentlemen in the neighborhood saying that, by her father's decision, Linda was not going back to church. _Ever_ again. During the visit of the two men, the priest felt the threatening tone in the air.

That's when Fraser really lost control. He tried to break into Mr. Renner's apartment to take the girl away once and for all. He had been arrested, but Renner had decided to not press charges. Fraser almost found himself in the middle of a deportation process. He had only been released under the supervision of Inspector Thatcher and a formal commitment to see Dr. Lennyard – professionally. It was like therapy, and it had helped to mitigate the pain. That is, until that call from the psychiatrist, who had rekindled his hopes of seeing Linda.

*** * ***

Two months later, the Mountie was sitting in the courtroom, anxiously spinning the Stetson in his hands. His heart beating should certainly be at a rate considered stressful by cardiologists. Ray stopped his movement of the hat by gently placing a hand on his arm. Then he said, in a gentle voice, “It won't be long now, Benny.”

Fraser gave a nervous smile. His heart seemed ready to jump out of his chest. Judge Reynolds continued to talk and talk about family values, but Fraser was unable to hear him. All his attention was focused on the man who stared at him. Stanley Renner looked very different from the last time Fraser saw him.

No wonder. For months, Ray had devoted himself to an investigation in his spare time about Linda's natural father. It seemed that after years of drunkenness and minor offenses across the country, at the moment, he held a job as an accountant for a mob family in Chicago’s infamous West Side. But there was no way to prove it. The doctor attending Linda had also been an option of the mob. Dr. Lachen had some charges of negligence pending against him on the medical board.

All that information had been brought to Judge Reynolds, but even so he had not changed his mind about Linda's custody. Only now, two months later, and with Stanley Renner's spontaneous admission that he had failed to care for his daughter, could the situation be remedied. In the end, the six months determined by Judge Reynolds ended up being observed the same way.

That morning, in court, Stanley Renner had told the judge that he was very sorry for what he had done, but he had trusted the wrong people. According to him, Dr. Lachen (who had disappeared, apparently fled the country) had done bad things to Linda, and he felt he had not been a good father to her. The judge was harsh to the old man, talking nonstop about family values and how important it was for Linda to experience that. Almost in tears, Stanley Renner replied that Linda was in no position to experience anything. The judge said he would see this for himself before deciding anything, and ordered the bailiff to bring Miss Lyme to his presence.

Fraser's heart almost stopped. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Linda was there and he could finally see her!

The excitement vanished when he saw Linda being brought in a wheelchair without showing any sign of life in her beautiful green eyes. She was overweight and dressed in a way she normally wouldn't be; her hair was shorter than Fraser had ever seen her. The wheelchair was pulled by a nurse in a traditional uniform, and she placed Linda next to the judge. Oblivious, the girl did not react. She was called to exhaustion and didn't even lift her head.

Stanley Renner whispered to his lawyer and the lawyer conferred with Miss Weiner, and it was established with Judge Reynolds that Linda was unable to testify.

The judge was appalled.

“How could this happen?” he asked, “Six months ago, I spoke to a young woman on the verge of socializing. Independent, active and smart. Now she cannot even recognize her own name ...! She is a completely different person!”

“She cannot speak, Your Honor,” said Renner's lawyer, constricted. “The medication she has been taking prevents her from doing so.”

"Mr. Renner," said the judge, almost snarling, " _how_ did that happen?"

“I told you that everything is my fault, Your Honor. I trusted the wrong people, I believed what they said and look what they did to my little girl.” The man seemed about to cry. “I cannot forgive myself, sir. She was so lively, so clever, and now, because of _me_ , she ...”

He closed his eyes and could not finish the sentence. The judge turned to the other side and asked, “Is the State ready to take responsibility for the girl?”

Miss Weiner rose, “Yes, Your Honor. We have already been warned in advance by Mr. Renner about Linda's condition and we are prepared to take care of her.”

The judge sighed and then shook his head, saying, “I’m barely holding on here, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Renner, if it weren't for your anticipated report to this court regarding your daughter’s condition, I would hold you right now in jail for abuse and neglect of a disabled person. I warn you that I will still be able to sue you for any damage that girl may have as a result of your terrible judgment. In six months, the state is expected to provide me with a report and medical diagnosis of Linda's condition. If any permanent damage to her health is found, then I will ask for charges to the full extent of the law, Mr. Renner. In the meantime, you are not to skip town, sir. ”

The man seemed quite intimidated, “Yes, Your Honor. I am truly sorry, Your Honor”.

“The State now has custody of Linda Lyme, who must be taken out of her natural father's custody. However, should he wish, he can visit her at periodic intervals. The two lawyers must organize a schedule according to the convenience of the parties. I repeat it once more, Mr. Renner: if Linda shows any permanent damage, you will be prosecuted, and Dr. Lachen will be listed as co-responsible. Case closed.” The gavel banged and the judge shook his head.

As soon as the bailiff ordered everyone to rise, Fraser ran to Linda's side. Stanley Renner watched the scene as he discreetly left the courtroom. The girl was in the wheelchair, head down, looking at her lap, oblivious to the outside world.

Dr. Lennyard took a flashlight from his pocket, lifted her head and examined her pupils, then took her arms and swore under her breath. Beside him, Ray wanted to know, “How is she?”

The psychiatrist sighed heavily and replied, “She's heavily drugged, not just sedated. I will have to admit her to the mental hospital.”

Fraser immediately asked, “No, please, don’t do that. She begged not to go to that place. She didn't want that.”

“I'm sorry, Constable, but I have no choice,” said the doctor tensely. “Her condition is ... unbelievable. In addition, she needs extensive exams. And I don't think she is quite conscious right now. She needs to be hospitalized in specialized care.”

Ray said, “But we had prepared everything so that she didn't need to go to a place like that.”

“I will try to limit her stay in the hospital to the minimum possible. But right now, she needs intensive medical treatment. As soon as she starts to respond to treatment, I will get her out of there.”

Fraser showed up every day he could during the three weeks that Linda stayed in the psychiatric ward. She was catatonic most of the time, sleeping a lot and was literally unresponsive. Doctors gave her exercises so she wouldn't lose movement of her limbs, and they also encouraged her to speak. Two weeks later, she started to chew her own food, and Dr. Lennyard considered it a good sign. Her eyes seemed less distant. She recognized the people around her, her eyes following the movements of nurses and visitors. When she was able to shed tears, even without making a sound or changing her facial expression, Dr. Lennyard knew it was time to make preparations for her discharge from the mental unit.

She could go home.


	33. Chapter 33

## Chapter 33

When Linda was allowed to go home, she still needed 24-hour care. She returned to the old apartment (the landlady had kept it at Fraser's request), and Donna agreed to work six days a week for a fraction of what she would normally charge, but not nights. A rooster was set up for the night shift – Fraser, Ray, Mrs. Vecchio and Frannie would be with her during the evenings of the week. On Saturdays, Ray and Fraser would move in until Monday morning, when Donna took over. Food and laundry were courtesy of Casa Del Vecchio.

In a painfully slow pace, Linda began to respond to the treatment, at last. The girl quickly regained her mobility skills, but was unable to communicate. Every little victory was celebrated. Donna praised her, and at night, Fraser would do the same, too. Then she would shed tears, but her face was still devoid of emotion.

When she regained full mobility, Donna took her for a walk. The neighborhood was very different from her father's, but whenever the weather permitted, Donna took a taxi and took Linda to Lincoln Park. Not even nature was able to elicit a quicker response from Linda. She still didn't speak or show any emotion.

Further progress came in an unexpected way. Alone, Linda went to the bathroom when she needed. She also picked up fruits from the kitchen. Donna noticed that Linda would do these things when no one was around, or when Donna was busy away from her. According to Dr. Lennyard, this was a good sign, and a kind of message to let her have more autonomy.

However, everyone considered it a spectacular event the night Fraser put her to sleep, and she reached out, placing the palm of his hand on his cheek, tenderly. Touching was not something she did easily, and Fraser smiled at her. Then she said, loud and clear. “Ben.”

He thought he was going to explode with joy. He hugged her tight and wept, unable to control himself. Then he felt something wet on his chest. Linda was crying too.

For weeks, that was the only word she spoke. She only said "Ben", and only to him, only when the two of them were alone.

Fraser was in so much pain. Seeing Linda in that state overwhelmed him. Dr. Lennyard explained that, however distressing, it was a clear indication that she was trying to anchor herself in reality. They were finally beating the medication that had hurt her so badly.

As soon as Linda started to have self-motion, she went to see Dr. Lennyard regularly, instead of the doctor coming to see her. Contact with the outside world was extremely important, the psychiatrist pointed out. Linda and Donna would take El or a bus, or even (more rarely) a taxi, to go to the doctor’s office. If time and weather allowed, Donna would rather walk home, occasionally stopping for ice cream or a snack.

At night, different people took care of Linda, who did not interact with them, as a rule. Everyone had been instructed by Dr. Lennyard on how to act and Donna also gave them basics of nursing. Mrs. Vecchio said that everything seemed very similar to looking after a small child. And it was quite true.

After Linda spoke her one word, Fraser was authorized to bring Diefenbaker to the apartment. Linda did not react as Dief happily licked her face, jumping on her lap and putting her snout near her hand. However, she petted the wolf's soft fur when Fraser turned his back. Then she leaned towards Fraser and cuddled up to his chest, sighing, “Ben ...”

He kissed the top of her head and held her in his arms. Dief yelped softly, and Linda flinched. Fraser put her to bed, and then told her an Inuit fable. He could see that her eyes were smiling, before falling asleep, murmuring ever so softly, “Ben ...”

*** * ***

Two more reports and Ray Vecchio would be done for the day. He could leave the precinct early in the afternoon and it was his chance to be with Linda and Donna. They wanted to do some physiotherapy exercises. Ray liked to help and the nurse noticed that Linda also seemed to appreciate his efforts, so she encouraged him to help with the exercises whenever he could. So Ray Vecchio was a hurried man that afternoon. He was typing furiously, running against the clock. Then his desk phone rang.

“Vecchio.”

“I'm looking for a Ray Vecchio.”

“You found him. What can I do for you?”

“Hold on. Someone wants to talk to you.”

Ray was intrigued, and asked, “Hello? Who is this?” Then he heard a familiar voice.

“Ray. Help. Please.”

The Italian almost flipped, but recovered in time. “Linda? Hey girl, what happened?”

“Donna sick.”

_This is not good, oh my God_ , Ray thought. _Don’t panic, Vecchio_.

“Linda, where are you?”

“Hospital.”

“Look, don't move, okay? I'll be right there. Can you give the phone to that other person?”

“No.”

“Did that man leave?”

“Yes.”

“Linda, can you please put someone else on the phone? Anyone”?

“OK.”

“Then do it, sweetheart. Thank you.”

In a short while, Ray heard a male voice, “Hello.”

“Dude, this is the police. What is your name?”

“Dr. Martin Henke. Who's talking, please?”

“Detective Ray Vecchio. Look, doctor, you have a traumatized girl right next to you. Her name is Linda. She can barely speak. I'm going to the hospital to get her, but I need you to take care of her until I arrive. You can do it?”

“No, detective.”

“What hospital is this?”

“Cook County.”

“Okay! Give me 30 minutes. I'm on my way and I'll be looking for you, Dr. Henke.”

Ray's first impulse was to draw his gun as soon as he entered the emergency room at Cook County Hospital. It was total chaos, with people coming and going, others waiting. The detective introduced himself at the counter and asked the desk attendant, holding up his badge, “Please, Miss, I'm looking for Dr. Henke.”

She pointed to a doctor running after him, “You found him.”

Ray ran after the man, a blond man in his forties, and shouted, “Dr. Henke? Ray Vecchio!”

Without interrupting his walking, the other man smiled and put his face back into a medical clipboard, “Hello, detective. Pleasure. If you'll excuse me, I have an emergency.”

Ray followed him through the crowded corridors and said, “Okay, doctor, I just came to get Linda. Where is she?”

Dr. Henke didn't even stop to enter the exam room, “She's safe, detective. But we need to talk. Wait for me, okay?”

Then the door closed and Ray stayed outside, still not sure where Linda could be in all the mess that was Cook County Hospital. He started to get impatient and frustrated. He went back to the information desk, “Hi, it’s me again. I'm looking for a woman named Donna. She probably got sick on the street, paramedics must have taken her, and was with a girl, a very confused one.”

The desk attendant asked, “Oh, yeah. You are talking about Linda, right?”

Ray was amazed that the girl knew her name.

“YES! Yes, the one and only. Can you help me?”

“Of course yes. Donna is in Room 2, only you can't see her right now. Linda is under observation, but she should be discharged soon.”

“Observation?”

“Dr. Henke’s orders. I thought you knew that.”

The Italian was losing his remarkably thin patience, “And what can I do?”

“You can wait right here,” she pointed to a string of plastic chairs. “I cannot authorize your entry there.”

Ray burst out, impatient, “OK, fine! Just don't let me rot here!”

The echo of his words had not even disappeared into the air when another nurse came to him and smiled before asking, in a calm and controlled voice, “Are you Detective Vecchio? Come with me please.”

“I can't get an answer”, he said, following her, but still annoyed and anxious. “Can someone tell me what happened to Donna and Linda?”

The nurse ignored his complaints and replied, “Donna is medicated. It seems that she had a steep pressure drop in the street, passed out and someone called 911. Linda called for you.”

Ray paled as he followed the girl, “Oh no. How are they?”

“As I told you, Donna is medicated and Linda is under observation by Dr. Henke's team, and it looks like he's considering taking her case.”

“Team?”

“Dr. Henke is our chief neurological physiotherapist.”

“Linda already has a doctor. He's a psychiatrist.”

"You can talk to him about it later." She opened a door. “Donna is right in there. You can talk to her now.”

Ray entered an exam room and saw Donna lying on a cot, with a nice set of IV drips being taken out by a nurse. She saw him standing at the door and called, “Detective Vecchio?”

“Donna, are you okay?”

“I'm fine now.” She looked embarrassed. “I do not know what happened. The doctor wants me to do some tests. My husband is on his way.”

“Do you need anything?”

“I want to know what happened to Linda. They took her to the hospital, and that was the last time I saw her.”

Ray reassured her, “Linda is fine. She was the one who called me.”

The girl stopped massaging the sore wrist from the IV and stared at Ray, amazed, “What did you say?”

“You heard me right,” he nodded, unable to hide his proud smile. “She asked someone to call me on the precinct and then spoke to me on the phone. Called me by my name.”

Donna was so surprised that she asked Ray to tell her the whole story in detail. Then she asked him to repeat everything. The fact that Linda had spoken only sparse words did not impress her. Donna was very excited. It was a very good sign of Linda's recovery.

When the nurse told Ray that he could see Linda, he almost walked out on Donna without even saying goodbye. But when he said he would wait for her husband to arrive, the nurse smiled and said that she would be fine, because her husband was due to arrive at any moment. Then Ray ran to see Linda.

She was in the pediatric ward recreation room. Dr. Henke's team thought she could react to the children's stimulus. They were wrong. In the living room, decorated with animal figures and colorful and cheerful wallpaper, half a dozen children between the ages of 4 and 8 played sitting at a table. Linda was lying in the corner of the room, on a little mattress obviously meant for a child much smaller than herself. But she was huddled in a ball anyway, and her body was all covered by the little mattress. Ray's shoulders sagged at the sight of her dejected state. Then he straightened up and went into the room. She had her eyes closed, she seemed to be sleeping. Ray sit on the floor and gently called her.

“Linda? Linda, sweetie, it's me: Ray.”

She opened her eyes, then looked at him. There was no expression on her face, but their eyes showed that she had recognized him. Then she called his name, “Ray.”

It was the first time she had spoken the name in several months. Ray felt a lump in his throat. Then he stroked her hair tenderly and smiled, “Hi, darling. Are you okay?”

She said another name, still not moving. But her eyes sparkled when she said it.

“Donna.”

Ray sat on the floor next to her and said, “Donna is much better now. I just talked to her. She was sick, but the doctor took care of her and she will be fine. I want to know how _you_ feel.”

Linda looked at him intently, blinked and then asked, firmly, “Donna pregnant?

Ray was intrigued, but tried not to reveal that impression, saying, as calmly as he could, “I don't know anything about it, Linda. The doctor said nothing about it.” He hesitated, but then insisted. “I want to know about _you_. Can tell me?”

Her eyes seemed to lose some of the light they had seconds before, and she sighed, “Tired. Home.”

Ray moved awkwardly across the floor to kiss her forehead and said, “I know, Linda. I'll get you out of here, okay?”

“Okay, Ray.”

Then Linda hugged her knees, wincing, closed her eyes, and didn't open them again, standing still. Ray heard a whisper behind him, “Not bad, Detective.”

Startled, Ray turned to see Dr. Henke by his side. The doctor motioned him to go outside, then asked, “Do you know how long has she been like this?”

"We don't know for sure," Ray confessed. "This was the first time she spoke in many months.”

“Are you her brother?”

“She has no family.”

Dr. Henke smiled, and his eyes seemed to shine.

“Oh, yes, she really is _the_ Linda.” Seeing Ray's confused expression, he said, "Oh, I should probably explain. Her case has always interested me a lot. I have been following it through medical congresses and scientific papers that Dr. Lennyard wrote. When I came to Chicago, I followed the case more closely.”

Ray was impressed.

“Then you know about her. Kind of.”

“Yes, you can say that. As I said, only through scientific papers. I never imagined that she could have such a relapse. I heard about the custody dispute with her father.”

“Did you really? I thought we had managed to keep the newspapers away from the case.”

“Yes, but not the scientific community. Linda's case is unique. Professionals from different areas are following it. And the truth is, I think I can help you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Therapy. Physical therapy can make a sharp difference in her mental condition.”

“Yes, Donna (her nurse) is helping Linda with it. But Linda’s mental condition is temporary and drug-induced, as far as we know.”

“She needs professional attention.”

“Doctor, we cannot afford it.” Ray sighed. "We all help cover the expenses of the apartment where she lives, and Donna charges only a fraction of what she normally would. This type of treatment is expensive.”

“I know. That’s why I am offering free treatment. All you have to do is bring her here.”

Ray hesitated, “I don’t mean any offense, but I need to see this with her doctor first. He is also his guardian, as you very well know. Anyway, I appreciate the offer. Can we go now? She complained she was quite tired.”

“Sure. Just think about my offer. It is still standing.”

“I appreciate it, Dr. Henke. Thank you for everything.”

After making sure that Donna had her own family looking after her, Ray took Linda home and put her to bed. He tried to encourage her to talk, but she was really tired, and all she did was silently nod at everything he said. Then she went to sleep. Ray told Fraser what had happened, and the Mountie almost had a fit. Ray had to reassure him everything was under control.

The next day, Donna had her day off, and Ray took Linda to his home, where his mother would take care of her. It was a beautiful day, so Mrs. Vecchio took Linda to the garden. She sat by the porch, watching Maria's children playing in the garden. Her ability to speak seemed to be related to people, because at times she seemed afraid to speak where there were many people around. Several times Mrs. Vecchio tried to get her attention by showing her shiny things. Linda didn't react, didn't even smile. The Italian matriarch lovingly kissed the girl's forehead, heart in pieces, then went into the house to prepare lunch.

The children stopped playing and went over to Linda, who was alone sitting by the porch. Maria's children were true Vecchios: curious and brilliant. Linda was asked many questions, and the girl tried to answer as she could.

“Why are you like that? You were different before.”

Linda thought hard and then replied, “I'm sick.”

It was her first complete sentence. But that meant nothing to Maria's children, so they continued with the questions.

“Did you go to the doctor?”

Linda nodded. She always did this in "yes" or "no" questions.

“Does it catch?”

Linda shook her head and the little one approached her.

“You are pretty.”

She smiled and held out her hand to the child, who took it and started playing with her fingers. Tears fell down Linda's cheeks. The child, about three or four years old, climbed on her lap and brought her chubby little hands to Linda's cheeks, wiping the girl's tears, “Don’t cry. You'll be fine. Then we will play. Would you like to play with me?”

Linda nodded, still crying. The two older children ran back to the house, looking for new games. The little one yawned, then settled into Linda's arms, trying to get more be comfortable.

“I'm tired. Tell me a story, please?”

That confused Linda. She managed to put together some sentences and the little one started to play with her hair, only stopping when he was totally asleep in her arms. Linda was also tired, but she stroked the child's hair lovingly. Then she was careful to get up from the chair and enter the house with the little one asleep in her arms. Mrs. Vecchio looked alarmed when she saw little Tony in Linda's arms, but then she smiled and asked, “Would you like me to take care of him now, _bambina_?”

Linda nodded emphatically, relieved. The Italian took the child carefully from her arms and said to Linda, “Why don't you sit down now? Lunch is almost ready.”

“’k, thanks”.

Surprised by the answer, Mrs. Vecchio almost dropped her own grandson. Later, at lunch, she found out from the children that they had spoken to Linda, and that she had lulled little Tony to sleep.

Also over lunch, Ray showed up at home just to see how things were going. Linda's eyes shone differently when Ray entered the dining room and he sat down next to her, saying, “Hi, Linda, I just stopped by to see how it was going. Is everything all right?”

Linda nodded. Her green eyes were bigger, looking at him, almost pleading. Ray felt that there was something she obviously wanted to say, but she didn't want or couldn't say. He just smiled at her, and then she took his hands and said, “Ray.”

He fought the impact of the word, just his name, but it meant so much to him. Nevertheless, he managed to smile.

“Yes, Linda.”

She inhaled loudly, then held on, squeezed his hands and with great effort, said, in a slow, steady voice, her eyes filled with tears, “You are Ray.”

His smile could have lit up the entire city of Peoria for an entire month, his eyes sparkled with happiness. His voice broke when he said, “Yes, Linda. I am Ray.”

Then it was her turn to smile at him.

Ray couldn't help himself and hugged her. He never imagined it would be so difficult to get back to work after lunch.


	34. Chapter 34

## Chapter 34

It was Fraser's turn to spend the night with Linda. She received him with a smile and he melted inside. But she was so tired after spending the day in the Vecchios that she fell asleep right after dinner. Fraser smiled and tucked her in. She smiled back sleepily and called out, “Ben…”

Then she fell asleep.

But the night was not at all calm. The incidents of the past two days had really drained the girl and that, too, in the mental aspect. Linda was agitated, and woke up several times, panting, shaking, crying, sometimes screaming. She would not speak, and only calmed down when Fraser hugged her and said those were just nightmares, and they were not real, and that he would not let any harm happen. She hugged him tightly. He went to bed with her and held her. The sound of Fraser's heart proved very calming and Linda fell asleep curled up to him, still sobbing a little. Fraser was also sobbing. Of joy. To be able to have Linda again in her arms was almost heaven for the Canadian.

Donna came early in the morning, looking forward to seeing Linda after all those adventures. The nurse was in good health, but at that moment she was curious to see for herself how Linda could have called the hospital's detective friend. She entered Linda's room excitedly, “Good morning!”

And when Donna opened the curtain to let the sun in, she saw the couple curled up in the bed, and her heart almost stopped in shock. Linda barely moved, but Fraser jumped up and soon realized what the nurse was thinking. Donna ran out of the room, flushed, and Fraser went after her.

“No, please! Please! It’s not-!”

He caught with her in the living room. The nurse was red with anger when she turned to him and asked, trying to keep her voice low so as not to wake Linda, “How _could_ you?! I thought you liked Linda! That you really cared for her ...!”

“Please listen. It's not what you're thinking. Nothing happened. She was crying and I just ...”

“... was taking advantage of it!” accused the girl, angry. “I saw it! You can't deny it!”

A third voice came from the door.

“Donna!”

They both turned to see Linda, in her pajamas, standing at the door. She said, in a big effort, looking very worried and crying.

“Ben doesn't hurt. No!”

Donna went to her and said, “No, Linda, Fraser didn't hurt me. And I didn't hurt him either. Are you hurt?”

She lowered her head, intimidated. Donna sighed and asked, “Don’t be afraid to tell me, Linda. Did Fraser hurt you?”

The girl raised her head and said, angrily, “No! Ben doesn't hurt!”

Donna hugged her and said. “Shh, it's okay. Why don't you wait for me in the room, okay? I'll be there soon.”

Linda lifted her head, her eyes still red from crying, greener than ever and looked at Fraser. Then she went to the room, as requested. Donna approached Fraser and said, “Look, I'm sorry, I ...”

Fraser interrupted her, “It's all right. It was a ... valid conclusion.”

Donna went on, “I know you care a great deal about Linda. And you have also been an invaluable friend. I wasn't thinking straight. Please forgive me, Fraser.”

“There was no harm done,” said Fraser, trying to smile friendly. “And Linda reacted well to everything, don't you think?”

“Yes. She's fighting back. She even speaks.”

“Not much. She gets tired quickly. But she is getting better. “Fraser sighed and tried to dispel the embarrassment in the air. “I better go to the Consulate now.”

“I need to take care of Linda. So we better forget everything, what do you say?”

“Understood. By the way, are you all right? Ray told me what happened.”

“I'm fine, thanks. But we need to talk about my health, although some other time would be better. It would be nice if Detective Vecchio and Dr. Lennyard could be there too.”

“I can try to arrange a meeting over the weekend. What do you think?”

“It should be fine.”

“Excellent. Until then.”

Fraser left and Donna tried to get Linda to speak some more, but the girl was more quiet than usual. Fortunately, they had an appointment with Dr. Lennyard. This time he was in for a surprise. And it had nothing to do with the fact that Linda improved faster than anyone could have predicted.

In fact, Dr. Lennyard was fascinated by their adventure and asked Donna to count and retell all their adventures, starting at El station and then at Cook County General Hospital. Only after he heard all the details did he call Linda.

Dr. Lennyard was certain that this session would be different. He felt that the girl was more alert every day. The doctor was very observant and Linda had a peculiar body language, which he knew better than anyone. Her eyes were getting more expressive, her movements more coordinated. Speech skills, however, could take a little longer. It could require special treatments, speech therapists or other professionals in the field, but it was doable.

He greeted her with a smile.

“Linda, come in. I heard you have been very active these days. Would you like to tell me what happened?”

The girl sat down, curled up as usual. Then the phone rang. It was unprecedented.

Linda seemed to panic and Dr. Lennyard did not hide his annoyance. He pressed the communicator and told the assistant, “Mildred, I already said that –“

He was interrupted.

“It was not her fault, doctor.” The voice was Mr. Renner’s. “Please, you gotta to let me in. Now.”

The doctor was obviously surprised and opened the door. Mr. Renner came in, closed the door and said, seriously, “I am leaving. I had to warn you.”

“Sir, what are you talking about? What is the meaning of this?”

“I'm leaving. I finally made it out.” The older man was visibly upset. “At my age, you know ...” He tried to get close to Linda. The girl shrank even more, terrified. “I needed to ask you to forgive me, Linda. I was forced to do those things.”

Dr. Lennyard asked, “Which things, if I may ask?”

“They just used her.” The man looked disgusted. “I couldn't say anything before, but now I have protection. I am not Linda's real father. I was hired to do a job. My name is not Stanley Renner. I don't even know if he's alive.”

“What? But –“

“Everything was forged: exams, documents, everything. The DNA evidence they presented to the court to gain custody was bogus. Her story is very easy to "remake", you know. But the judge's verdict was a blessing. Everything was ready, and I was hired to play a part. I just didn't know Linda was such a nice person. I feel awful.”

“So it was staged? But why go through all the trouble? Who would do such a thing?”

The man formerly known as Stanley Renner looked embarrassed and sighed.

“Linda was beaten up a few weeks before I showed up claiming to be her father. She was raped. I did this, pretending to be her father and threatened Linda to never tell. And she got pregnant. Time passed and she grew in size. But she was not getting fat, it was a baby growing inside her. I don't think Linda knew about it, and that was Dr. Lachen's role in the scheme, drugging her so much that she would never know what happened. When Donna started asking questions about Linda's health, she had to be fired. The child was sold. And now they've found out I'm sterile. I can’t have children, so I could not have impregnated her. That means the baby is probably from her boyfriend, that Canadian guy. I thought you'd like to know.”

Dr. Lennyard was shocked with all this information, and Linda started to cry loudly, hysterical. The doctor called his assistant, but Linda resisted, and the man slipped out of the office during the confusion. And he was never found. Later, Dr. Lennyard found an envelope in his office containing $ 20,000 in small, used bills. The money was handed over to the police, but the source of the money was never traced.

Linda had to be sedated and Dr. Lennyard admitted her to a hospital. She was unconscious when the tests started. One was done as soon as she arrived in the emergency room. The others took longer. But there was no doubt. From hormone levels and other tests, it was confirmed that Linda had sustained a pregnancy less than four months ago.

Ray found Fraser at the hospital, but he had already been informed of everything by Dr. Lennyard and a full police investigation was already underway. Ray – like everyone who knew Linda – was shocked and angry, but at the moment the biggest concern was with her health. Linda was getting worse, and needed to be sedated constantly, as she woke up screaming, tearing the IVs.

For days, she fought death without any physical reason for it, just emotional shock, basically giving up on living. Dr. Lennyard decided that she should not be left alone, and again a task force was formed. Fraser did most of the work, with Donna helping out during the day. The nurse felt guilty because she found out she was pregnant – just as Linda had somehow predicted.

Physically, Linda improved a little, going from hysterical to catatonic the following week. It seemed, however, that all previous progress had been totally lost. She had reverted to the state of not seeing, not moving, not responding. Day and night. Fraser was frustrated. Ray was close to the boiling point.

Linda received visits from virtually the entire hospital and the entire 27th district of the Chicago Police Department, in addition to the entire Vecchio clan. Frannie would help relieve Fraser for a few nights, and so would young Miss Robinson, a former hospital patient who had become attached to Linda after coming out of a coma and learning about the girl's connection to her mother. Little Vecchios (Maria and Tony's children) kept asking when Aunt Linda would return. The children made drawings for Linda and Frannie was always showing the colored sheets of paper to the motionless and absent person on the bed.

Dr. Lennyard was very intrigued by Linda's reactions. Although the drugs given by that Dr. Lachen were still in her body, the smart psychiatrist knew that her lack of response was due more to her psychological state than actually any chemical elements in her body. That proved true when she started to blink, out of reflex. She was alert, but so within her own world that she did not react to the outside world. To force her cooperation, he ordered parenteral feeding to be suspended. The uncomfortable intravenous pieces were removed.

For two days Linda went hungry and didn't even drink water, but on the third day, weak and distant, her lips parted. She couldn't be fed through a straw (she didn't have the strength to suck), but Donna had all the patience in the world when feeding her from a spoon. A meal (always soup) took almost an hour. Within days, Linda's lips spontaneously opened and closed to eat. Her eyes also looked more alert and bright.

The following week, Donna received the tray with the soup plate and approached Linda, saying, as always, while the nurse arranged the food for her.

“Look how nice, today is pea soup. See how beautiful, Linda, we have a beautiful green soup today. Let's try not to spill any today, okay?”

The girl shook her head, looking at Donna. The hospital nurse's mouth fell open. It was Linda's first sign of reply – _any_ form of reply. Donna gave a stern look to the other girl, who quickly left the room. Trying to emulate a calmness that she didn't feel, Donna turned to Linda again and asked, “What is it, Linda?”

Then the voice came, weak and broken.

“No...”

“No to what, Linda?” Donna insisted, in such a blasé tone that even the Pope could have been annoyed by it. “I'm sorry, but I don't understand you. Do you _want_ to spill the pea soup?”

Linda sighed, as if frustrated and repeated - more firmly, “No.”

Donna had to put the tray on the sideboard, because she was shaking with emotion and didn't want Linda to notice.

“Linda, dear, you do look determined to tell me something, but I still don't know what you're trying to say. I'll try to guess, okay?”

The girl looked more relieved and nodded. Donna came close to her and said gently, as if speaking to a child, “I couldn't hear it, Linda. Do you mean you don't want to spill the soup?”

Linda shook her head; Donna could see it was an effort for her.

“You don’t want pea soup?”

Linda's eyes shone as few times in the past few months when she said, closing her hands in anger, “No soup.”

“You don't want _soup?_ ” Linda nodded, and Donna almost chuckled. “Okay, then I'll see what I can get you for lunch. But remember, if you don't want soup, you'll have to chew it, Linda. It's a big step. Are you sure you're ready for it?”

The girl nodded again, eyes begging for food. Her expression broke Donna's heart, and she took the tray and said, “All right. So you wait here and I'm going to talk to the nurse to change the menu, okay?”

When Donna returned to the room, Linda was asleep, exhausted by the effort, and only woke up at night, after everyone heard about the development. In a few days, she would say a few sparse words. But not many. She started to eat better, her movements improved, and she started to go to the bathroom without Donna's help. Dr. Lennyard risked sending her back to her home, with 24-hour care very similar to what she had before the incident.

With the money left by the man they knew as Stanley Renner, Dr. Lennyard opened a small savings account for Linda. It was a kind of emergency fund. The main reason was that although Linda was recovering well, if it took too long, Donna's baby would arrive, and Linda would need another nurse – obviously one who would like to be paid in full. The money would be useful at least for that. Otherwise, she would need to be hospitalized again. This was an option that Dr. Lennyard would do anything to avoid.

One of the things Dr. Lennyard did was to contact Dr. Henke to find out if he was still up with his offer of free treatment for Linda. Yes, he was, but he demanded that Linda be hospitalized and that Dr. Lennyard would stay completely out of the case. Apparently, the famous neurologist did not want to share the credit for his progress. This would require another legal fight for the young woman's custody. Linda was in the custody of the state of Illinois, not Cook County. Dr. Henke's tantalizing offer became an authentic Greek gift.

Although Linda was much worse off than the first time she came home, this time she readapted it much more easily. Her motion skills improved enormously, but speech was still very impaired. She tried to communicate frequently, and if her efforts took too long she would be so upset that she would cry quietly, sobbing until the frustration passed.

Every day, no matter sun, rain, snow or hail, Linda walked. The landlady always showed up, and the girl smiled at her, recognizing her. She also loved the company of Ma Vecchio, and Frannie. When Francesca brought the children, Linda was very excited, as if she were also a little girl. They would play all day together, and Donna noticed that Linda went to bed earlier those days, and slept better.

Linda was already able to do a number of tasks without any supervision, and others under Donna's eyes. Most of the tasks of self-hygiene, such as bathing, showering, brushing teeth or going to the bathroom, she could do alone. Eating with a knife and fork was still a little tricky, but the spoon she handled well. Only she refused to take any soup, especially the green ones. The pea soup lesson had been well learned.

Donna and Linda worked hard every day. As if playing games with the girl, Donna exercised her muscles, and tried to encourage her to draw figures, as the Vecchio children did to her. Physical exercise (especially fine motor skills) was best for Linda. Not only did she like it, but she was also starting to do them well.

Although her speech fell short of what she had achieved before, her body language and nonverbal skills improved with each passing day. She laughed and smiled at the people she liked. She knew their names, and her memory was improving every day. One of the mental exercises was for Donna to tell her stories and then ask Linda about them. Many of these stories were provided by Dr. Lennyard, interested in whether she was avoiding bad memories or something. They soon discovered that Linda was also expressing her feelings. This was an excellent aspect of Donna's reports to Dr. Lennyard, whom they visited at least once a week.

The task force was still active and now Linda's room had two beds – one for her, the other for her nightly escort. Most nights when Fraser or Ray were there, however, Linda preferred to share her own bed. In fact, she asked for it. She called them both by name, then nestled with them. She also caressed them both with loving touches, soft and delicate, her eyes wide, her breathe heavy, but she never dared to go on. Both Ray and Fraser discussed this with each other, because they did not know what to do about it. Fraser told Dr. Lennyard what was going on. The psychiatrist said that this was exactly what they were thinking: she missed intimacy. However, she was not ready for sex unless she asked. Specifically, and explicitly. Still, the doctor recalled, it was important that Linda was comfortable and felt good, to build her confidence step by step. In other words, take it easy if the occasion arises.


	35. Chapter 35

## Chapter 35

All she said was, “Ben.”

Fraser was putting Linda to bed, a book already set aside to tell her a story. He looked her in the eyes, huge green almonds sparkling adorably at him. He smiled.

“Yes, Linda?”

She said, “Love. Me.”

Although it didn't seem, Fraser guessed it was a question.

“Of course I love you very much, Linda.” He sat on the bed next to her and kissed her hand tenderly. “I love you very much. You know that.”

Linda pushed the covers aside and got nearer him. Then she repeated, more slowly and steadily.

“No. Ben. _Please_. Love. Me.”

Fraser looked at her, and was intrigued.

“I still don't understand, Linda. What are you tryihmphhmp –“

He couldn't finish the sentence, as determined lips covered his own and Linda kissed him hard, taking the Canadian completely by surprise. His body automatically responded to the stimulus, even though his brain was on alert. Linda's hands quickly went to his shirt and he grabbed her around the waist. It was when he was out of breath that he broke the kiss, looked at her and asked, “Linda, are you sure about that?”

She nodded and threw herself at him again, seeking another kiss and he stopped her, looking into her eyes to ask, “You're not doing this for me, are you? Because I can wait until you're ready, Linda. I will wait as long as you need. Do you understand?”

Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude and she said, deeply moved, “Love you, Ben.”

“I love you too, Linda. I just don't want to hurt you.”

“No hurt, Ben. Just love. Love. Me. Please. Love me.”

“Are you really asking?”

Smiling, Linda came even closer to his body, and her hand gently grabbed the volume in front of his jeans, and she nodded, while her mouth took his, and the two threw themselves on the bed, hands and mouths exploring one another. the other with longing. Clothes flew and the foreplay caresses were forgotten. Fraser did not let even a part of Linda's skin go without a kiss or caress, especially when he stuck his tongue into the core of her femininity while she lovingly wrapped his penis in her mouth, causing him to spill its seed in a matter of minutes. Then she rose to receive him in her arms, even though he was almost asleep and whispered in his ear over and over.

“Love you love you love you love you love you love you love you”

Linda was happy. Part of the confused things had disappeared from her head and she happily fell into a restful sleep, in the arms of her lover. He pulled her closer and she felt safe and loved. She just wanted her head to cooperate a little more.

The following days went by strangely. Linda felt different every day. Most of the time, she understood very little of the words that people spoke to her. She paid damned attention to what they said, but the meaning was somehow lost. She didn't speak much because she didn't know what to say. So she was silent.

But there were times when she felt more present. She understood better. It was as if, at those times, an invisible veil was lifted from her mind, and she could see the world more clearly. On those occasions she spoke firmly, asked questions, and moved better.

The sentences got bigger as time passed. Donna was getting bigger, and Linda knew she was going to have a baby. Linda never, ever, talked about Donna’s baby. For Dr. Lennyard, it was because it would remind Linda that she had already had a baby and it had been stolen from her without her even knowing it.

But Ray had things to talk about that. The story the man had said in Dr. Lennyard's office was checked and rechecked by the Police Department. An investigation was officially open, but the truth was that they had no clue. The baby was never found, any trace of the child carefully erased probably by the doctor, who took care of birth certificates and things like that. The man they knew as Stanley Renner had certainly disappeared from the face of the earth, protected by the mob, and had collected a great deal of money, they were sure.

Dr. Lennyard felt Linda less traumatized. In a few sessions they had even managed to chat for a while. The mention of the baby, however, would throw her into a violent relapse. She cried and curled up in a ball, crying for a long time until she fell into a deep sleep, from sheer exhaustion. But that was the exception. Normally she would be just fine – or as fine as she could be.

Linda got so much better that she asked to go back to work. She said she missed the people at the hospital. With the doctor's approval, Donna took her to the hospital for a visit. Her friends, Samantha and Barbara, welcomed her, and she was touched by the friendship that Mrs. Sorelli showed. Some other colleagues were no longer there, Miss Crystal was one of them. Linda said she wanted to go back and was waiting for Dr. Lennyard's permission. His friends seemed very happy to see the girl. She also couldn't hide a big smile.

Donna also received many messages of thanks from Linda when she returned home. And Linda went to bed early that night, with a contented smile. She received her nightly escort with a tender smile. Ray noticed that she didn't have any nightmares that night. It felt like life was finally giving Linda a sort of break. She needed it, thought the Italian.

Little did he know what was on the horizon.

*** * ***

“... And here are your airline tickets, Constable. Your reservations are confirmed and you must follow the trial until the end. Ottawa wants this criminal to be extradited strictly according to the rules, so he doesn't get rid of the law because of small technical loopholes, understand?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“You will be gone as long as you need. Bring a term of condemnation – or release, if applicable. I want you to give it to me personally. Do you understand?”

"Yes, Madam," said Fraser to Inspector Thatcher, upon receiving the papers. Then he examined the papers and realized. “Er, Madam, sorry, but there must be some mistake. These tickets are for a plane that leaves in three hours.”

The senior officer slowly raised her head to look at him with eyes that resembled hate laser beams. Her voice was low and menacing, “There is no mistake, Constable. I've already taken the liberty of keeping your wolf with Constable Turnbull and calling you a taxi to take you to O'Hare Airport. The taxi will be here in 45 minutes, and this is the time you have to go to your apartment and pack your luggage. But I strongly recommend that you start moving. Or you'll miss the plane.”

He stammered; “Y-yes, ma'am. Thank you Madam.”

Fraser moved nervously around the Consulate. His biggest concern was that this night he was scheduled to look after Linda and needed to find Ray to warn him. Fraser called Ray's cell phone, and he was out of range. The Vecchio house line was busy. And it was too late to call Dr. Lennyard's office.

The Canadian started to sweat a lot, and the two hours became the worst of his life. Then he had to wait one more hour to check in, and tried to call again. Nothing. Then he got on the plane, in four hours he was in Ottawa, then he went through customs and it was late at night (actually, it was almost dawn in local time) when he managed to speak to Ray. Still at Ottawa International Airport.

“Ray?”

The voice was sleepy on the other end of the line.

“Yes?”

“Ray, it's me.”

“Fraser?” Ray sounded alarmed. “What happened?”

“Ray, I'm sorry, I couldn't get in touch earlier.”

“Are you all right? Fraser, you don't sound well.”

“I'm worried, Ray. I couldn't talk to you before. I'm not with Linda.”

Ray's brain finally seemed to have started working – a little bit.

“Wait. You should be with her.”

“Yes, I know, but I'm not.” His voice was pure sorrow. “Sorry, Ray. This is all my fault.”

The Italian asked carefully, “All right, Fraser. Just tell me: who's with Linda?”

"I don't know, Ray. No one, I suppose, since you were the only person I was able to speak to, and only now."

“Oh, no” The Italian was already up and changing clothes. “What happened to you, Fraser?”

“I'm in Canada.”

_“What?!”_

Sighing, Fraser looked around the airport, which had very few people in the middle of the night, his face showing remorse and concern.

“I couldn't help it, Ray. It was an emergency mission. I had to hastily extradite a criminal.”

The Italian wrinkled his nose, “Yeah, hasty indeed.”

“Actually, less than an hour Ray. Anyway, I'm really sorry. Everything is my fault. I was unable to speak to anyone and Inspector Thatcher would not let me take another plane.”

“Sure, buddy. I should have known that the Dragon Woman would be involved in this in some way. And stop saying it was your fault.”

“Talk to Linda, Ray. Tell me what happened. Don't let her feel abandoned. I would never do that to her.”

“Don't worry, Benny. I'm going to talk to her right now. Keep calm. And Dief?”

“Inspector Thatcher sent him to Constable Turnbull.”

“Oh, poor wolf. I'll see if Turnbull delivers Dief to me. How long are you going to stay?”

“Until the end of the trial. A week, maybe more.”

“Okay, Benny, don't worry, we'll take care of your wolf and Linda. Everything is under control.”

“Please, Ray. Go talk to Linda. She is all alone.”

“I'm going, I'm going! Bye, buddy.”

Ray hung up and ran to Linda's apartment as the sun began to rise in Chicago, as usual, from the lake to the city. When he parked near the building, he saw Donna entering it. He had hoped he could get there before she did. _Damn it. She beat me_.

The nurse smiled at him when she saw him running up to her, on the slippery, snowy sidewalk.

“Hello, detective.”

“Donna, good morning.”

“Isn't it a little early for a visit? Linda must be sleeping.”

“Yes, well, actually I –“

She interrupted him, “Oh, did you stop here to give Fraser a ride? This is so thoughtful.”

Ray sighed and decided not to lie anymore. “Donna, Fraser is not in there.”

“He is not?”

“He had to go to Canada suddenly for work. I only found out a few minutes ago. Fraser called me from Ottawa.”

“So who's with Linda?”

“I don't think anyone is with her.”

Donna sighed, annoyed. That sort of thing could do Linda serious damage. Trying to control herself, she said, “Well, it's done. Now the important thing is to control the damage. She might be scared. Let's go in carefully.”

Using Donna's key, they opened the door and entered the apartment. Everything seemed normal. It was quiet.

The door to Linda's room was closed, and Donna opened it carefully. Linda was not in bed. Ray thought about pulling the gun. As she did every morning, Donna came in and called, trying to look cheerful, “Good morning, Linda!”

A sleepy head appeared from under the bed.

“Donna.”

The nurse sighed with relief, so did Ray. Then Donna asked, “Did you fall out of bed, Linda?”

“No. I was alone.”

“Were you alone?”

Linda sat on the bed, saying, “I waited, but no one came. So I ate an apple and went to bed. Then I got up at night and there was still no one. So I went under the bed.”

Donna asked, “Do you feel safe under the bed, Linda?”

"No one can see me under the bed," she said. “I do it when I'm scared.”

“Were you scared?”

“A bit.” She came over to Donna and hugged her tightly. “I'm glad you're here. And you brought Ray. That's a good thing.”

Ray sat on the bed and said, his face showing his pain, “Linda, I'm sorry that nobody came to stay with you tonight, Linda. Something unexpected happened.”

“Okay, Ray. I am not afraid anymore.”

“If it happens again, you can stay with the landlady. You know it.”

“That is right.” The girl smiled. “Good idea, Ray.”

“Great.” He smiled too, relieved. “I'll call Fraser and tell him everything is fine.”

“Where is he?”

“He had to go to Canada, Linda.”

She reacted strangely – she looked shocked.

“For…ever…?”

“No, Linda, no, just for a few days. It’s his job. He wanted me to tell you that he will miss you.”

“Oh, I'll miss him too. When will he be back?”

“He doesn't know yet. But he will be gone for a few days.”

Donna said, “We can count the time until he comes back, Linda. What do you say?”

Linda smiled and clapped her hands. Ray said, “Very well, my lovelies. You deserve a special Vecchio breakfast. Be prepared that I will serve you both, ladies.”

Linda chuckled loudly and kissed his cheek, “Thank you, Ray. I love you.”

He kissed her back and smiled, “I love you, too, sweetie. Now be a good girl for Donna.”

Together, they made Linda's bed, while Ray prepared breakfast for three. During the day, he talked to Donna by phone, and by night he arrived with a big surprise for Linda.

“Diefenbaker !!”

The wolf ran to the girl and she hugged the animal, which licked her face. The girl laughed and fell to the ground, and the wolf played with her even more. Linda and Dief huddled playfully on the floor for a while and the girl asked, “Can he stay, Ray? Please let him stay.”

"He's here to stay, Linda," Ray said. "Fraser asked me to bring Dief for you to take care of him.”

“Me? I can't take care of Dief, Ray. I need people to take care of me.”

“Benny says he doesn't trust anyone else to take care of Diefenbaker while he is away. And I know that you can do that. Donna can help during the day and I will be here at night. Benny needs your help, Linda. Will you help him?”

The girl continued to scratch behind Diefenbaker's ears, a serious expression. Then she said, solemnly, “I'll do anything Ben asks me to do.”

Ray held back tears of pride and cleared his throat, saying, “Great. I already brought kibble and his blanket. Wherever do you want him to stay? In the kitchen or in the bedroom?”

She answered, “Bedroom.”

“Okay, but then I don’t want to hear any complaints about wolf hair in the bedroom.”


	36. Chapter 36

## Chapter 36

Throughout the week, Linda took great care of Diefenbaker, and the episode of being alone all night long impressed Dr. Lennyard very much. He began to think that the time for Linda to return to work could be approaching. The doctor conferred with Donna about it at the weekly appointment. Another factor to consider was that Donna's pregnancy was progressing normally, and Linda already required different care. The psychiatrist proposed to the nurse that she spend the nights with Linda. She didn't like it very much, but said she would consult her husband.

They took the El home, and on the train Linda asked, “Donna, am I getting better?”

The nurse replied. “Well, of course you are. I'm sure Dr. Lennyard told you that.”

The girl nodded, “Yes, he did. But I wish I could live my life. You will have your baby to care for soon, and you will no longer be able to take care of me.”

“I will not abandon you, Linda. We are friends.”

“I know. But I could try to be alone longer. So I can take care of myself, you know?”

“Did you say that to Dr. Lennyard?”

She shook her head, “I didn't know if he was going to be mad at me for saying that. He could be mad at me.”

Donna recalled, “Dr. Lennyard is a very fair man. If you talk to him politely, I'm sure he will respond politely as well. Besides, I can go with you, if you prefer.”

The girl looked at her feet, before saying, “My father was not.”

“Wasn't what?”

“Fair. He would be angry if I tried to stay away from him. He beat me a lot.”

“But that man was not your father. You know that, don’t you?”

“I'm not talking about _him_. I'm talking about my father.”

Donna was silent for a few minutes. Linda still had her head down. The nurse asked, “Are you still scared of your father, Linda?”

The girl nodded, unable to lift her head. Penalized, Donna hugged her and Linda wept silently in her chest for a few minutes. Then they had arrived at their station and had to get out of the El train.

And into a nightmare.

Donna and Linda stopped at a deli to buy donuts for Ray (and some for Dief to "steal") at the girl's request. As soon as they set foot in the store, Donna felt something in the air. There were three suspicious-looking teenagers near the register, and the attendant looked too pale. Donna tried to say, “Oh, Linda, we better get back. I think I forgot my scarf on the train.”

Before Linda could remind Donna that she had left the house without a scarf, one of the boys pointed a gun at them and approached them, saying, “No, no one is leaving. A pregnant woman always makes a good hostage. Inside! Both of you!”

It was a robbery, Linda recognized it. She remembered that Diefenbaker would probably protect them, but he was at her house, and they couldn't get him. Donna hugged Linda tightly and said, when the two were taken to the checkout counter, “Please don't hurt her. She is sick.”

The other boy asked, “What does she have? She looks fine to me. You're lying!”

That annoyed Linda, who said to the young man, “She's not a liar! I just came from the doctor!”

“Linda, please!”

“But you told him the truth!”

“But he didn’t believe me. Now please be quiet.”

The boy with the gun laughed, “The girl is hot-headed. What are you, sisters?”

Donna held Linda protectively and said, “She is my daughter.”

Linda's eyes widened, but then she realized that Donna was lying to the boys because they were so mean and maybe they could be deceived.

“It seems that she didn't know that,” noticed the teen. “Are you lying now?”

“I never told her,” Donna was shaking, “because I was afraid of her reaction.”

Linda was getting confused.

“What a sob story, lady, I don't give a damn. Now let go of the little pest.” The young man grabbed Donna's wrist, pulling her up. “You are coming with us, preggers.”

Linda felt her face heat up and she threw herself in front of the kid, “NO! Let her go!”

Donna shouted, “Linda, don’t!”

A gun was pointed at Linda's face, and the boy shouted, “Do you want to die, young lady? I'll give you a reason to die right now!”

Donna was shaking, but she was protected by Linda's body, who said to the young man, determined, “Ben taught me that the only thing worse than living without reason is to die without reason.”

That confused the kid, “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“I won't let you take Donna. I will protect her.”

“Linda, _please!”_

“Then you will die, stupid bitch!”

“Maybe. But not without a reason. What about you?”

Annoyed, the teen raised the gun to Linda's face, and saw the determination in the green eyes. He seemed to hesitate at that. In the distance, a police siren began to sound. The boys got agitated.

“Man, it’s the fuzz!”

“C’mon, let’s split!”

“Let's get the fuck out of here!”

Two of the teenagers ran out of the candy store, and the third one was still pointing the gun at Linda, who didn't budge. The boy grunted.

“There's your death wish, lady!”

Linda jumped up to protect Donna with her body, and then she heard a loud noise that seemed to be on the side of her ear, at the same time that Donna and she went down to the floor. Then Linda lifted her head, and asked, “Donna, are you hurt?”

“No ...” She shivered and thought it better to sit on the floor. “I don't think so ...”

Linda turned around and asked the cashier – who looked as if ready to faint, “And you?”

“I'm fine, thank you.”

“Then call a doctor, the police, anyone! My friend needs help!”

He went to the back of the store, and Donna tried to calm the girl down.

“Linda, I'm just scared. It's all right.”

“You go to the hospital, Donna.”

The cops took them both to the hospital immediately, and Linda asked them to call Ray to meet them there. Then Linda recognized the hospital where they were taken. It was the place where she worked. It took some time for her to convince the staff on duty that this time it was Donna who needed help, not her.

Donna was taken to an exam room and Linda sat outside, anxious for news. One of the new nurses ran a hand through her hair, saying, “She'll be fine, sweetie, you'll see.”

“I know. Thanks.”

“What's up with your hair?”

"I don't know," said Linda, without thinking. "I can feel it’s wet, but it's not raining or snowing."

“Oh my God,” said the nurse, who suddenly went pale and pulled Linda. “Come with me, dear.”

The girl followed, but complained, “Do I really have to go? I need to wait for Donna and Ray.”

“Believe me, dear, right now you need more help than your friend.” And she shouted at the nurses’ station. “Get help! I have a Red Code here!”

Red Code. Linda had heard that before. It was an emergency code, and it referred to procedures. It had been a long time, but she could remember the meaning of the words. And she was amazed, “Shot by a firearm? I didn't get shot.”

The nurse made Linda lie on a stretcher, saying, “Maybe it just grazed your head, but it's bleeding. That is why your hair is wet. It's blood.”

It was Linda's turn to say, “Oh, dear.”

Samantha, a nurse that was friends with Linda, entered the exam room where Linda had been taken and told her, “Linda, that detective friend of yours is here. Do you want him to stay with you?”

Linda would have loved that, but she remembered that there was someone else who needed company more than she did, so she said, “Someone has to stay with Donna, or at least, call her husband.”

“Donna and the baby are fine.” Sam assured. “The doctor has released her now. Now we are concerned with you. Your friend wants to come in.”

“Fine. Sam, am I really hurt?”

“Only the doctor can say that for sure, Linda.”

A different man entered the exam room and introduced himself, consulting a clipboard, “Hi, you are Linda? I am Dr. Roberts. It looks like you have a bump on your head. Let’s get a better look at it, okay?”

She looked at the man and something quite instinctive kicked in. Linda flinched, calling softly, “Sam…”

“Yes, Linda?”

“Help me… Please, Sam.... Help me…”

There was no time. When the doctor got closer to her, Linda screamed and tried to get away from him.

“No! Do not touch me! NOOO!”

The doctor was startled. From outside, Ray heard Linda's cry, and invaded the room.

“Linda!”

“Ray! Help me, Ray!”

She clung to the Italian, trembling with fear, and the doctor said, “We're going to have to sedate her. I need 100 mg tryptamine. Better yet, make it thiopental sodium.”

Linda heard that and shouted even louder, “Ray, don't leave! Don't let them take the baby! Please!”

Ray didn't understand, but tried to calm her down while they were doing the injection, “Linda, it's okay, it’s just a doctor, a good doctor. Now you need to relax.”

“Ray, they'll take away the baby! Do not let them!” Ray was at a loss about what was going on, but she continued to struggle, even when the drug was already sedating her. “They will take the baby away, Ray! Don't leave me, Ray! Don't let them take the baby. Do not let them… Please, Ray. Ray...”

Then in seconds, her body relaxed completely, and she lost consciousness without ever letting go of Ray's jacket. Only then could they take care of the head injury.

*** * ***

Someone was touching her head. Then the touch was gone. Linda opened her eyes and felt disoriented for a few seconds, moving on the bed. Then she felt, more than she actually saw, a shadow moving closer to her. Linda flinched, terrified, “No!”

In a reflex, she pulled the covers to get under them, feeling pain in his head when making the movement. The nurse said, “Linda, sweetie, it’s just me.” Linda peeked and saw the same new nurse she had seen before. She was in a hospital room. The nurse smiled at her. “It's all right. I will not hurt you.”

Suddenly Linda remembered why she was terrified, “The baby!”

“Whose baby, Linda?”

“Donna's baby.”

“Everything's fine with Donna's baby. And with her too. How do you feel?”

Linda looked around, her heart beating a little slower, but still racing. Then she asked, “Where's Ray?”

“He went home,” replied the girl. “But there is another friend of yours outside, waiting for you to wake up. His name is Fraser.”

Linda's entire face lit up with a smile.

“Is Ben here? Has he returned?”

“Yes. He stayed up all night while you slept. Want to see him?”

She nodded and then touched the point that hurt her head, amazed to find a piece of cloth, “Ouch. What is it?”

“A bandage. You had a wound in your head. A gunshot wound.”

“Gun… _shot?_ Was I shot?”

The nurse nodded, “Yes, but you are lucky. It was just a scratch. The exam was very thorough, and it showed nothing serious. There's nothing for you to worry about.”

Linda was getting confused and scared, and she curled up on the bed. The nurse stroked her hair and asked, “Would you like your friend to come in now?”

“Yes, please. Thanks.”

“You're welcome, Linda.”

Fraser came in, and he had a tired expression on his face. But his eyes lit up when she saw Linda's face. She couldn't contain her emotions and burst into tears when he smiled at her, “Oh, Ben ...”

He held her in his arms and the nurse said, smiling, “I guess I will go now.”

As if someone realized that she was in the room.

Linda wept in Fraser's arms, and he sat on the bed, waiting for her to vent all her fear. It felt so good to be in Ben's arms again, feeling his warmth, listening to his heart very close to his ear. It was so soothing. Linda cried a lot, for all the pain she felt and things she couldn't understand. Then she started to sob, without crying. After a long time, she said, touching his chest, “Your shirt ... got wet ... Sorry.”

“It's okay.” Fraser smiled. “How are you?”

“My head still hurts a little.” She hugged him again and this time she smiled. “I'm really glad you're here.”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Ben. How was your trip?”

“It was a business trip. Thank you for watching Diefenbaker.”

“Oh, I forgot about Dief! Where is he?”

“With Ray's mother.”

“I am so sorry.” Linda looked at him and she was getting scared. “But they put me to sleep. I didn't want to sleep, but they gave me an injection. I asked them not to, but they didn't hear me, Ben. I was so scared, Ben, so scared ...”

He calmed her down before she started crying again, “Everything is okay now, and you are also fine. Why didn't you want to sleep, Linda?”

“I don't know, Ben.” The girl looked at him and looked honestly confused. “I kept thinking that was bad somehow. There was this doctor. He was a good and nice doctor, but...I thought about the baby and I was so scared. I didn't want the doctor to touch me. And I don't even know why. I feel so confused sometimes.”

“But sleeping was good for you. You needed to rest. Ray told me you were quite nervous.”

“Yes, I was. I was worried about Donna, Ben.”

“Donna told me you saved her life.”

Linda blushed until she was completely pink.

“That is not true. I just wanted to protect her and her baby.”

“And you did it. She is so grateful and proud of what you have done.”

“Is her baby okay?”

“Yes, she and the baby are fine. She stayed with you for a while, then she went home.”

Linda said, “Ben, you should go home, too. You look tired.”

“No, I'm not. I just miss you so much. I want to stay with you.”

Linda smiled gratefully at him. Then she looked in his blue eyes and smiled even more. He leaned down to her, and captured her lips with his, in a passionate kiss. Linda wrapped herself around Ben's body, and felt the effects of the drug taking over her. She couldn't help a yawn and felt embarrassed.

“I am sorry. They gave me some kind of shot. It makes me sleepy.”

“Then get some more sleep.” He caressed her delicate chin with his long fingers. “I will stay here, right next to you. Do not worry.”

He kissed her lips, then held her in his arms, and Linda fell asleep, feeling safe and warm inside.

*** * ***

Gradually, life resumed its normal pace. Linda eventually got completely rid of the drug that Dr. Lachen had given her and returned to her job at the hospital. Donna had a beautiful little girl called Melissa. Meanwhile, Ray and Fraser enjoyed Linda, sometimes together, uninhibitedly.

For Linda, it was like a double blessing. She was proud and happy to give herself to her best friend and the man she loved. Fraser believed it was a gift that the woman he had fallen in love with, even after everything that had passed into criminal hands and even her own father's, still had within her such love that she could share with him and with his best friend, practically his brother. Ray was still more than flattered that his two adopted siblings accepted him into their circle in the most intimate, deepest way. The union of the three was visibly strengthened, an abundance of love, affection and warmth.

They talked a lot about it. Linda didn't know much about things, and the two had to explain more than once to her that this type of relationship was neither common nor well accepted, mostly frowned upon. Contrary to what Ray had imagined, of the three, the detective was the most reticent to talk about it, his own insecurities and family values leaving him at a disadvantage. Strangely for the Italian, Fraser, whom he always found withdrawn and perhaps even repressed, was completely blasé about what was happening. Deep down, the Canadian believed that it was just another form of expression of affection and love. He was not very good with words, but he accepted that way of expressing his feelings in a way that surprised even himself.

Linda thought life was finally treating her right. She rested her head on Fraser's chest and let herself be lulled by the mere sound of her heartbeat. It was the most soothing sound in the world. Nothing could be so nurturing when your lover's heart was beating close to your ears while her body was held by strong male arms. It was heaven on Earth. She intended to make the most of it.

But those who wanted to prevent it from achieving its goal never stopped lurking.


	37. Chapter 37

# The pleasures of domestic quietude

## Chapter 37

There was definitely some kind of mood inside the  Riv that early evening. And it was not good. Not  good at all, as a matter of fact . All three occupants of the vehicle remained silent, which only added to the tension in the air. Linda was silent and tried not to speak. Fraser looked tense, and he looked depressed. Ray drove silently, after announcing the bad news that he would be at work undercover all night. The trio had plans to have dinner at a restaurant, and now everything was gone. Fraser appeared to be the most devastated.

They approached Linda's apartment, the first stop after a day's work. Trying to dispel the mood, Linda  said, “ Well, guys, it's not that bad. I'm sure that we will have many opportunities to dine  out. Perhaps Saturday, if Ray has Sunday off. ”

Ray replied, a little dejectedly , “ I don't know about the  day off yet. ”

The  girl  widened her green eyes.

“ Oh. ”

“And here we are ,  Linda.” Ray pulled the car into a spot near the  building. “ Safe and sound. ”

“R ay, why don't you come up a  bit , just for coffee?  Please?”

“ You know I have to work. ”

"I promise you it won’t be long, Ray. I wouldn't want you to be late, but you could relax a little before you go to work. You look so sad.”

The Italian smiled at  her.

“ Okay, if you insist. Are you coming, Benny? ”

The Mountie stepped out of the car.

“ Sure. ”

Linda tried her hardest not to show her excitement as they walked up the stairs to the apartment. Then she took the keys out of her purse to open the door. Dief started to smell the footer insistently. Linda went on alert. That was when the key seemed to have stuck in the lock. The girl shook the door a little and said, discouraged, “Oh, no. It does not open. I think it’s stuck. Ray, can you help me, please?”

“ Sure ,” he said, taking off his elegant Italian jacket . “B enny, hold this, okay? ”

Before the Canadian could respond, the jacket landed on the floor. It was enough for Fraser to immediately crouch,  embarrassed, “ Ray,  please forgive me .  It was never  my  inten -“

He never finished the sentence. The door to Linda's apartment opened quickly, the lights were turned on, and from within came a unanimous  cry.

“ Surprise! ”

Linda's small apartment  had been  fully decorated for a birthday party, including a banner that crossed the wall with  “ Happy Birthday,  Fraser” . The entire  Vecchio clan was there, in addition to the staff of the 27th. District, and the Canadian Consulate's diplomatic corps, and even some friends from his old apartment, the rodent and insect-infested  dump in West Racine, where he had to move from after the building was burnt in a fire.

The conspiracy between Linda and Ray to organize a surprise party on Fraser's birthday had lasted for weeks. First, they both pretended to have completely forgotten the occasion, but they arranged dinner that night as they did from time to time, with nothing  special. Then Lieutenant Welsh was asked to  “ assign ” Ray at the last minute for an undercover job.

Fraser's face broke into a smile that could light up all the Northwest Territories for at least a week. His voice cracked when he looked at Linda and said, a little  dumbfounded, “ You  remembered ... ”

Linda put her arms around his neck and said, with another heavenly  smile, “ Of course my love. I would  never forget it . Happy birthday, Ben. ”

She kissed him in front of everyone, and when they both realized it, they were more than red, but the applause was already loud. Then Linda pushed her lover into the  arms of those  dear friends , from whom he received greetings and gifts. The party was lively and pleasant, and there were happy people and laughter, and food, and drink. Fraser  looked genuinely moved, as he was not used to these celebrations. But Linda made sure to throw a big party  – in fact, the first party  she had ever sponsored. She dedicated herself to the task of hosting so many people at the same time. Many people flocked to the small apartment, as well as the building's corridors and stairs. She worked like a little bee to ensure everyone's comfort,  and she looked  happy and excited.

It was about midnight when the guests left, because it was  a week night and when morning came, the children would have school and the adults would have to go to work. Linda accepted help with tidying up the apartment, while Ray took Fraser and his gifts home.  The Canadian was very grateful for everything.

It was not an hour after that, and Benton Fraser was still admiring the gifts he had won (there had never been so many!)  i n his broken apartment.  T hen he heard a knock at the door  that made Diefenbaker  raise his ears. He was intrigued and went to answer it. Then he was even more  intrigued.

“ Linda?  What are you doing here ? ”

She  came in ,  a  naughty snicker on her  face.

“ I had to give you your gift, Ben. ”

“ But it’s right here ”,  he pointe d. “Wasn’t  that shirt ... ”

She interrupted him, and looked embarrassed, “No, that is from Inspector Thatcher, don't you remember? That’s not my gift.”

“ So what is it? ”

Linda blushed even more and closed the  door.

“Try to guess.”

Then she took a small object out of her bag, which Fraser  recognized.

“ Is your gift a  stereo system ? ”

“ No,  silly.” She  smiled at  him. “This is not even wrapped. Francesca lent me t his playe r. ”

“ Why? ”

Linda did not stop smiling (or blushing) when she  replied, “ I've been practicing, but I need music to give you my gift. Now, please, sit down. And I must also ask you not to distract me, Ben. I'm not very good at that, and if I get distracted, it  won’t be a good gift . ”

Fraser sat down as ordered, and felt something strange in the air. Linda hit the play button and the song started. It was jazz. The hottest. Linda started dancing for him.  Not any dance. She started to  dance exotica.

The  Mountie jaw dropped and he had a hard time trying to dispel the  kind of  thoughts that insisted on  springing up his mind. He didn't want to think about Linda like that. They were  lovers , but he had always shown deep respect for the girl. Everything indicated, however, that Linda was trying to stir up precisely those thoughts  in his mind.

Her body spun, her waist swayed in impossible curves, and her face took on some somber nuances in the small apartment, as her movements were in synch with the hot, sensual music and her nimble and thin limbs began to pull her coat off in a slow and agonizing pace. Then it was the blouse's turn to land on the floor, and at that point, she was closer to Fraser. The Canadian was having serious trouble remembering how to breathe. _She's_ _doing_ _a_ _striptease_ _for_ _me_. _Oh_ _dear_.

There was not much experience in their movements, but Linda was quite enthusiastic. Fraser never took his eyes off her, and she began to circle him, caress him, his bo dy experiencing sudden increase in temperature. She prepared to unbutton her dark skirt. She did it slowly, slowly, and Fraser swallowed.

The small piece of clothing ended up being swayed in front of her breasts, and she also took the tiny skirt over Fraser's skin before throwing it away. And the music continued, and Fraser looked Linda up and down, realizing that she was dressed only in sexy underwear, black stockings, high heels and – _oh,_ _my_ _dear_ – a red garter belt. The sight suddenly made his pants feel a lot tighter.

There was a slight acceleration in the music, and Linda also dedicated herself to increasing her contact with Fraser's skin, although she had never stopped dancing, moving. Provocative, sensual and insinuating, she slid on the floor of the small apartment until she shifted a chair, on which she lifted a leg to open the garter belt, smiling innocently at Fraser, whose pants were getting very, very tight. With a brief swirl, the other leg came to the chair, and the other strap also landed on the floor, falling at the same time as a drop of sweat cascaded down the Canadian's forehead.

Linda's hands went to her back and she threw her head back as she unbuttoned her bra, then she approached Fraser and offered her half-dressed breasts. The poor Canadian seemed helpless to feel the blood rushing greedily to the groin area when Linda took  his hand and guided it to the bra strap, first one and then the other, gently removing it, until the lingerie was on his lap and the breasts released at his disposal. But before his hesitant fingers could touch the white, delicate skin, she let out a sly giggle, squirming away from him, and danced with her hips, kicking off her high heels. And that was when it was time to remove the  stockings .

Anguished minutes passed while Fraser watched her hands caress her own legs, a delicate touch to remove one, then the other black silk stocking. They were not  fishing  net type , nothing  vulgar . Fraser was getting stiffer by the second, and he began to doubt whether he could take that tease any longer. His breath hitched, he was literally dizzy with desire, his whole body shaking in a futile attempt to suppress his instincts.

The black silk stockings floated by his face, and he had to clench his fists as he closed his eyes so that his face could fully feel the caress of the silk, his nostrils opening up to an exotic scent he felt exhaling from her body. Then (and only then) did he realize that the song was over. When he opened his eyes, Linda seemed to float above his face and she murmured , “ Please … help me with this. ”

His eyes landed on the closure of his red panties – an exotic type of lingerie that could be unbuttoned. His fingers trembled as they touched the soft fabric. Suddenly, his mouth was everywhere on Linda's body, and he was struggling to get rid of his own clothes. Fraser didn't even remember moving, but when he realized it they were in his narrow bed, anguished, desperate for each other. The breathing was labored, loud, the movements quick, the moans loud, and they knew it wouldn't be long. Fraser was even sore with stiffness, his erection pulsing in contact with the soft skin of Linda's stomach, who attacked his chest with sensual kisses. Suddenly, a familiar moisture rose between their bodies, and Fraser screamed, trembling as he had never done before. Exhausted, he collapsed on the bed and Linda took him into her arms tenderly, caressing him almost in adoration, while he slept in her arms.

Linda was happy. It was the first time she had tried to  actively  seduce a man. And that was the man she loved most, the man she would do anything to please.

A long time later, Fraser moved, waking Linda. In the dark, green eyes sought his. The blue eyes were full of love when he looked at her and  said, “ I love you. ”

Linda shivered. She was always thrilled when she heard Fraser say he loved her.

“I love you , too. ” She  whispered. “ Too much. I hope you enjoyed  my gift . ”

He smiled and said , “ It w as amazing. ”

“ Did you like it? ”

“I  really enjoyed it. You've surprised me.  When did you learn to do that? ”

“I 've been practicing with a professional dancer. I met her at the hospital. She went there and then we practiced without anyone knowing. ”

“ I thought the party had already been enough surprise. ”

Linda looked  hurt.

“ Did you really think I could forget your birthday, Ben? ”

“ No, but you seemed willing to forget everything because Ray couldn't go to dinner. That hurt. ”

“Benton Fraser, you know how much I love Ray Vecchio. But as much as I love Ray, I would never, and I repeat, _never_ , let him stay between us. I love you too much to even risk that, Ben. You are my life. You are everything to me.”

“So you have been thinking about this ... _gift_ ” he emphasized the word “for very long?”

“ Yes, you can say that .  It is the first time that we have spent your birthday together. I wanted it to be special. ”

"But we've known each other for  a  while now , so how come this is the first ..." He stopped before completing the sentence, shocked.

Linda looked away from him, because she wanted to forget what she had just remembered. On Fraser's last birthday, Linda was away from him. They had been separated by a court order issued by a judge who believed that Linda's father had returned after more than 15 years, and to whom he had given temporary  custody of the girl. It turned out that she had been used, apparently by some local mafia boss, to give birth to a child  who  was taken from her shortly after  it was born. It took Dr.  Lennyard months until the effects of the drugs they had given Linda to leave her body, drugs that left her unable to react and left her confused beyond anything she had ever  suffered . She had almost reverted to a vegetative state, an experience that Fraser would never want to relive. Nor Linda, even in thoughts and memories.

“ Oh ,” he sai d. “ I'm sorry about that. ”

" It’s o kay," Linda replied, shruggin g.

In an attempt to change the subject, Fraser said, “I actually have a question. I know it sounds strange, but I never found out when is _your_ birthday. Is it coming?”

Linda looked away again. And  sh e  replied, “ I ... don't have a birthday. ”

Something in her voice made Fraser shudder, clearly realizing that it had hit an exposed nerve. Linda was so delicate, so sensitive, he never knew when she might be hurt.

“Would you like to talk about it?” She shook her head and he held her for a long time, kissing the top of her head. “Okay. I just wanted to make you happy, not sad. We will not talk about it.”

Linda lifted her head and faced him, her green eyes glistening with tears. Seeing the pain in them, Fraser felt his heart sink. But she started to plant butterfly kisses on his face.

“ I love you so much, Ben. You are so good to me. I love you more than  for ever. ’

Fraser knew that she was sincere.

In the morning, Linda woke up early, and Fraser, awake since dawn, watched her move around the small kitchen, feeding and petting Diefenbaker, then preparing a meal for both of them. He was in the closet, getting dressed to go to the Consulate, and he remembered to ask , “ Do you have classes in the morning today? ”

“ No, only at night. I left my books at the hospital. There is no need to hurry. ”

“ I'll take you to the hospital, then. ”

“ No, Ben, thanks, but you don't have to. ”

“But I need to go there anyway.”

That was enough fo r the girl to immediately worry.

“Are you sick?  Why didn't you tell me before? I could have prepared  you  soup, or something more  nourishing . Do you prefer to lie down a little longer? ”

Fraser felt his heart swell with the love he felt  coming from her, and calmed her. 

“ I'm not sick, Linda. I  just  need to do the  mandatory exams for the Consulate, and I thought it best to do them there, that's all. ”

“Oh, that’s good . I can help you, then. ”

“ No, please. I would be ” he hesitated  “ embarrassed. ”

Linda looked at him, who looked about to blush. She thought it was adorable and kissed  him .

They left the building, with Diefenbaker in front, just as a certain well-known Buick Riviera was around the corner. Ray let them in and immediately asked about Linda's classes. The girl gave the same answer she had given Fraser. Ray offered a ride for later, but she was determined to say there was no need. Fraser and Ray's care and attention for her studies was an eternal source of emotion for Linda.

The fact, bluntly, was simply that they were both almost bursting with pride since Linda had been accepted into night school. This way she could take the equivalence diploma from high school and try to enter the nursing school  the following school year . This was her big dream, one she had had  secretly  for years and she never imagined achieving before meeting Ben and Ray. Just as they were proud of her, Linda was grateful to both of them. That was why there were long study sessions  in the weekend s . She would not admit to being anything but the best student in the entire class. Of course, Dr.  Lennyard had also made her promise total dedication because she was still part of  a revolutionary mental health project.

The school was proving to be a highly beneficial experience for Linda. The psychiatrist noticed that she had changed in her  approach with people: she was more confident, more natural. While she concentrated on the subjects, she naturally developed social  skills and deepened her relationship with Fraser. Her life was taking direction and purpose. Becoming a nurse was important to her. Nurses had been, in Linda's past, the only people who had helped her with kindness when everyone else  ignored her, imagining she was a mental patient with no chance of recovery.

Linda was also very popular with  classmates . It was true that the fact that Fraser  coming to pick her up at the end of classes made her even more popular with the girls, but she also made friends. One of them was a very nice girl named Martha. She was practically Linda's best friend in school . The two got along very well, and Fraser was happy to see his girlfriend making new friends.

“ Hi, Fraser. ” The girl's bangs were thrown behind her ear and she grabbed  the notebooks close to her body by the night school’s door.

“Hello, Martha.”  He smiled politely.  “ Is Linda still in the  class room? ”

“ She's asking the math teacher a question. She is very dedicated. ”

“ Yes, she is. Need a ride? ”

“ No, thank you. I must go now. My sister is waiting for me. See you tomorrow. ”

“ Good night. ”

Linda left the classroom a nd opened her eyes wide – as well as a huge smile.

“ Ben! I didn't expect you tonight. ”

“ I  was done earlier and thought about taking  you home.  Also, a nice night w alk  will be fine . ”

She smil ed and kissed him before saying, “ You are so thoughtful, Ben. ”

Behind them, there were giggles from the other girls, and Linda blushed, pulling Ben up the stairs and from there to the street before there was any  tease from her colleagues. The two  of them  walked  hand in hand in the cold night of Chicago,  by  the e nd of autumn, and Linda invited, “Don’t you  want to come  up ?  Perhaps you’d like a cup of… coffee? ”

“ Better not ,” he said. “ You and I need sleep. If I come  up for coffee, you know what's going to happen. ”

Linda blushed pink and said, “ You're right. I think you've been working too hard, Ben. I don't want to see you tired. ”

“ I love the way you take care of me. ”

They hugged, and after a long kiss they said goodbye. Fraser watched her enter the building and smiled. His plan, which had already included a visit to the hospital and also to the institution where Linda had been hospitalized years ago , was  coming together even more perfect than  he expected .


	38. Chapter 38

## Chapter 38

Linda began to be quite intrigued by Fraser's behavior in the days after the birthday party. She could be a mental patient (out of hospital, like her psychiatrist, Dr.  Lennyard , liked to emphasize whenever  he could), but she was not an  idiot . Fraser was up to something. It didn't take long for her to find out what it was. But it had come from a totally unexpected source: Dr.  Lennyard .

“ Linda, I want to ask you a simple question. Can you tell me when you were born? ”

She opened  her eyes wide, then looked away, “ No sir. ”

“ Don't you know when you were born? ”

“ No, doctor, I don't know. ”

“ Ca re to explain me how this is so ? ”

The girl looked very uncomfortable.

“ Well, it turns out that when I was handed over to the State, there was a big mess with my papers. A lot had been lost or destroyed by my father during his ...  episodes . Then, at the orphanage, they used the date I had entered as my birth date minus five years .  After that , when I was taken to the mental institution, th at date was the date they had adopted as my birth date . But it is not my real birthday. I think ... ” She almost choked, tears in her eyes  “ no one can say what day I was actually born. ”

“ This is very unusual. Everyone has a birthday. ”

Linda l owered her head, a tear falling.

“ Well,  everybody but me . ”

“ And that makes you unhappy, doesn't it? ” She agreed. The psychiatrist sighed and changed the subject. “ Speaking of birthday s , I heard you recently threw a  surprise  birthday party for your boyfriend.  Did he like it ? ”

“ Yes, he said  he did.” Then she remembered the "gift" she had prepared and blushed . “ He said  he enjoyed it very much.”

“ How nice. Would you like someone to have a party like that for you? ”

Linda found it strange.

“ But I don't have a birthday. How could they  throw me a party without a real birth d ate? ”

Dr.  Lennyard suggested, “ You could adopt the date the  S tate gave you. It is still a personal milestone. Everyone has to have one, Linda, and you just said that maybe no  one can  tell the day you were really born. But look at it this way: with your father, you would die soon. Therefore, the day you were handed over to the  S tate may have been the day you started living. What do you think? ”

She thought, thought hard and then  agreed, “You may be right, doctor.”

The doctor scrabbled some of  the papers on his desk and said, “ In that case, I'm going to ask you to go with Mildred to deal with this right now. ” He activated the intercom . “ Mildred,  you can take Linda now, please.”

“ Yes, doctor. ”

Linda didn't understand.

“Excuse me ? ”

“ My secretary will take you now to take care of it. Give her this piece of paper. I'll be there in a minute, Linda. I just need to finish a few things. Believe me, I really want to go. ”

The door opened and Linda looked at  Mildred, who was smiling at her.

“ Shall we go , Linda? ”

Linda still didn't quite understand what it was about,  for Dr.  Lennyard’s secretary  _ never _ did that before,  but she obeyed without arguing, following Mildred through the halls of the well-known hospital. Therefore, she recognized the place s he was being taken to, and said, “Mrs. M ildred, we're going to the wrong place. ”

“ No, Linda, everything is fine. ”

“But this is  the nurses' wing. I am not allowed to  go in there. ”

The se cretary smiled.

“ Believe me, Linda, today you  have permission . Come along , don't be afraid. ”

Fear was not an emotion Linda was feeling, but she experienced many others as she entered the room, decorated like a birthday party, not unlike what she had done for Fraser a few weeks before. In addition to the hospital colleagues, there were members of the Vecchio family and a smiling Fraser. Mildred explained to Linda, handing her the paper that Dr. Lennyard had given her.

“ That's your birthday. We are celebrating it today. Happy Birthday , Linda . ”

Linda looked at the paper, then looked at  the secretary , then at t he paper again and finally said, “ But it was last month. ”

The secretary  was still smiling.

“ That's the most fun part. When we found out the date of the birthday, nobody wanted to wait  a whole year to  throw you the party. So, we agreed for the same day, only one month late. I hope you do not mind. Come on, everyone wants to congratulate you. ”

Linda had been to a few parties before, but never had one. She found herself surrounded by people, receiving hugs, kisses, gifts.  _ So this is what a birthday party is when we are honored ..., _ thought Linda. It was a totally new sensation for her, she had t o admit. When Fraser approached her, she asked, “ Ben,  did you do this for me ? ”

“ Oh, well, I just ... actually, I just ... ”

She didn't let him finish, throwing herself into his arms and kissing  him. Afterwards, Linda could only whisper, “ I love you ... more than ever. ”

“ Love you too , Linda . Forever. ”

They embrace d in the middle of the party , Linda almost bursting with happiness and Fraser feeling his heart warm as he recognized the green eyes shining with love and joy. He knew he wanted to make Linda genuinely happy for his entire life.

It was then that another plan began to draw in his ever-alert Canadian mind.

** * * * **

For a few days, Linda imagined that Ben's behavior would return to normal. After all, the mystery that had surrounded the party had made him act strange for weeks, but now everything was  back to normal , right?

Wrong.

Suddenly, the Canadian boyfriend started asking questions about her life that she never imagined he might be interested in.

"But it's a good  business  deal," Fraser told her that night, as they ate at Ray's recommended coffee shop with the Italian. "Your rent is much less than what I pay for my apartment."

Ray joked, “Of course, you live in a penthouse.” Fraser threw him a look that clearly said _Are you going to start_ _again_?, and the Italian promptly started to defend himself. “But that place _is_ a mousetrap, Fraser, you have to admit it is.”

The Canadian shrugged and  said, “ Tha t's why I'm thinking of moving out of there.”

For the first time that night, Ray's mouth was open but he wasn't talking. L inda was also taken by surprise, “Really ? I thought you liked that place. You always stood up for  it when Ray calls  it a trash can, a mousetrap , a dumpster and those other names. ”

Fraser explained, “Diefenbaker likes the neighborhood. Besides, I have good neighbors.  But ... I think moving will be good.” He quickly gave Ray another  look before the Italian even had a chance to complain. This time, Ray stepped back. Fraser turned to Linda. “What do you think?”

She was sincere.

“ If you are not feeling  good there, I recommend that you move  out as soon as possible. Do you have any other place in mind to be your new neighborhood? ”

“ Actually, I was thinking of something close to your area. But close to the Consulate, too. ”

Ray looked excited, “ Hey, that would be close to my house too. ”

“ It looks good for everyone .” Linda smiled and  jested, “Now you simply  _ have _ to move. ”

Fraser said, looking concerned, “ Yes, but there are still other things that I need to decide first. I'm not quite sure yet. ”

Linda offered, “May I help you with anything?”

Fraser gave one of those half m illion dollar (Canadian) smiles.

“ Actually, you can help me.”  Ray received another warning look and this time he didn't even know why . “ Linda, what would you say if I said I would like to  move in with you? ”

She didn't think twice.

“ Of course you would be welcome, Ben. You and Diefenbaker can stay in my apartment as long as you want until you find a new place to live. Well, you know there’s not much space there, but I’m sure we can  manage . ”

Ray looked at Fraser, showing that he understood why he should shut up, and was  actually happy. Fraser turned to Linda and took her han d, to say, calmly and patiently, “ No, Linda, you don't understand. I'm saying that I would like us to live together, in a new apartment. ”

Linda looked at him, puzzled, not sure sh e understood what he was saying, “ What do you mean, live together, you and me? That would be... ”

Fr aser didn't even let her finish, “ ... temporary, until we decided to get married. ”

In an abrupt gesture, Ray dropped  his beer bottle, but managed to catch it before the liquid spilled on the table. The commotion captured Linda's attention for a second, but then she lowered her head, avoiding looking directly at Fraser. She didn't smile. The Canadian's heart seemed to sink into his chest.

_ Oh no. I scared her. _

Linda's thoughts were running through her mind, and all sh e could think of was a question.

“ Why? ”

“ I love you, Linda. ”  He didn't stop holding her hands, and at that point, he kissed them . “ I love  you more than anyone I  ever  knew. I can no longer think about living without you, so I think this is the logical step to take. I wonder if you feel that  way,  too. ”

Ray started to fee l out of place and tried to say, “ Well, I better  go now and  let you discuss this in peace,  the two of you . ”

It was Linda who said, “ No, Ray, please. You are welcome to stay if you want. Unless Ben doesn't want  you  to. ”

“ Of course not. Ray is my best friend. No, Ray is much more than that, and I can talk to him about anything. But this suspense is killing me, Linda. What do you say? ”

Linda still had h er head down when she confessed, “ I'm quite surprised, Ben. That was ... unexpected. ”

Fraser tried to control his exasperation and said , trying to keep his voice soft, “ If you don't think it's a good idea, we can forget everything. I don't want  you to feel uncomfortable or pressured .  I apologize , Linda. ”

Upon hearing these words, Linda suddenly raised her head and looked directly at him. Fraser held his gaze and thought it was going to melt, such love he saw in the girl's green eyes. Trying to kee p her voice steady, she replied, “ No, I think it's a good idea. I'm really honored  to have been invited , Ben. It's not that I don't want to live with you,  oh no . That for me would be, I don't know,  some sort of paradise . It's just that I don't know if I'm ready for this. I don't want you to end up unhappy or hurt in any way, especially because of me. I also need to  talk to Dr.  Lennyard about this, you know. ”

“Do you need his permission?” Ray was amazed, “I didn't know he controlled _every_ little thing in your life.”

“ He's my legal guardian, Ray. I have responsibilities to him. ”

Fraser promised, “I will a lso talk to him about it, Linda. I had planned to do this  anyway , but I would never  talk to him before knowing what do you think about this.”

"I'm so afraid to hurt you, Ben," she said, squeezing his hand tenderly. “I would never forgive myself. I owe you so much. I can only ask you to be patient with me. As you have always been.”

Less anx ious,  Fraser tried to calm her down, “ But you don't have to answer me now. It is also not as if it will happen tomorrow. Let's  do this in small steps .  Here are some thoughts.  Who knows, maybe we can  look at the apartments together. I would move in one we like best , and then you would go there whenever you wanted. What  do you say ? ”

Linda smiled, embarrassed, and bowed her head  shyly .

“ It sounds like an excellent idea, Ben .” She touched his hand gently. “ I love you. More than  for ever. ”

He sighed, relieved and said, “ I love you , too. And now I can breathe again. For a moment, I thought you were going to say no. ”

Ra y added,  his eyes glistening  with tears, “ And I think you two will make me diabetic! This is so sweet! ... ”

Linda couldn't resist and hugged him, “ Oh, Ray! ... You are our best friend! ”

Fraser added, “ And  I will certainly  want him to be my best man. ”

The Italian's eyes widened.

“ Really ? Gosh, I've never been anyone's  best man before. ”

"But we have plenty of time to think about it later, Ray," said Fraser.  “ First of all, Linda still hasn't said yes. Why don't we see how things are going? ”

Linda said, “ It's a good idea. We have to talk  some  more about it. ”

"Great," said Fraser. "I can do that. And wait , too. You know I would wait for you, Linda. I’d wait as long as you want me to.

And he kissed her, and Ray felt a lump in his throat when he saw the tomato stain on Linda's lips, the same as Fraser's. But none of that mattered to the happy couple and their future best man. Even the way Linda responded had implied acceptance of the proposal. Linda just needed time to get used to the idea.


	39. Chapter 39

## Chapter 39

Driven by the  Vecchios , Fraser's idea of moving together soon took the form of a weekend dedicated to  hunting a new apartment for the couple. Ray and Francesca insisted on  tagging along . Linda still thought  Frannie was mad at her for going out with Fraser, whom  Frannie had  pursuited for years. If that was the case, the Italian girl never showed it. Instead, she treated Linda and Fraser like brothers.

Like any good-natured Italian, Frannie had a very peculiar way of showing that brotherly love – chattering and jabbering.

"There," Frannie pointed forward, "this one has an excellent kitchen. You will want a nice kitchen, Linda, believe me.”

The girl said, loo king around the empty apartment,  “ Yes of course. But the place looks very expensive. ”

“ Not if you put your salary and Fraser's salary combined. Are you sure you don't want to see anything further north? Prices are better over there. Well, actually, over there you  might get a better apartment for the price you are willing to pay for one in  this area. ”

“ Yes, but we need to be close to the hospital and the consulate. Or at least close to an El station. ”

“ Benton , ” Francesca was practically the only person who called him that , “ do you have any plans to buy a car? ”

He was embarrassed.

“ Well, I ... Actually .... ”

She explained, “ It's just that if you  had a car you could leave the car with Linda and go to the Consulate on foot. So you could look at the apartments further north. With transportation assured ... ”

"I  can’t drive,  Frannie ," Linda recalled. "So there really wouldn't be much need for a car , see? ”

“ You can take driving lessons. ”

Before Linda explained to  Frannie about her state guardianship status, and therefore unable to take responsibility for a driver's license, Ray  showed his patience, “ Frannie , can't you st op asking all sorts of questions for a minute? They are trying to decide one thing at a time, for San Genaro! ”

She did not give up, “ At least I'm trying to help.  How are you helping  them, smart guy? ”

“ Trying not to be a source of irritation. They haven't even been able to decide whether they want a one- or two-bedroom place, with  your big mouth flapping all around.”

“ Of course they want at least two. ”  Frannie was sure about that. “ Maybe even three bedrooms ! ”

Ray looked at the ceiling, lookin g for some extra patience there.

“ They don't need three,  Frannie . It's just the two of them and the wolf! ”

“ That is  _ now _ , right, Ray? But you know, families ... well, they  tend  grow. ”

“ But you want to embarrass them here in front of everyone? ”

“Oh, _M_ _am ma mia_ _!_ ”  She raised her hands to the sky, then put them on her waist . “ Would you stop telling me  what to  do ?! ”

Linda and Ben watched the dialogue for a while, listening to the  bickering between the two  siblings . Later, the two would say it is an Italian thing. True  Vecchios ,  that’s what they were .

Suddenly Linda tur ned to Fraser and asked, unsure, “ Ben, do you really think  we are going to need  two rooms? There is a difference in price, and I'm not sure we have that much. ”

"It is wise to foresee circumstances," Fraser recalled patiently. "What if someone  wants to spend the night there? Like Ray, or his mother? In addition, prices do not vary that much from one bedroom apartments to two bedroom apartments. Not in this neighborhood. But think about it: a guest room would be well thought out. ”

“It didn't occur to me,” she admitted. “But Dief is going to sleep in our room, isn't he?”

Fraser had to laugh. “ If he wants. ”

She thought for a while.

“ Yeah, maybe two bedrooms is really a good idea, after all. You can also keep your father's chest  in the other room . ”

Ben smiled. “ See, you're already thinking about what to do with the space. ”

Linda smiled back. “ You are really smart, Mr. Constable. ”

Fraser hugged he r,

“ No, you are. ”

The couple  was so  involved by their own conversation that they didn't even realize that the noisy dialogue between the two Italian brothers was over and that the two were now staring at them with silly smiles on their faces. Fraser felt something in the air and asked.

“Is there anything wrong?”

“ No,  there is  nothing wrong,” R ay replied, a smile that only he knew how to give . “ In fact, everything is exactly as it should be. I am very happy for you both. ”

Frannie said, “ Me too, Ray, but we still have two more apartments to see and Ma is waiting for us  to dinner. So, let's  keep moving . ”

Newspaper in hand, the quartet spent the day looking at real estate. In the evening, everyone gathered at the  Vecchio table. Ma had prepared a special lasagna, and asked a lot about the day's progress. Linda answered the questions patiently, but she knew she couldn't hide her emotion from the  Vecchio's display of affection. She had never felt so accepted in a family. In fact, this was the first family he remembered.

That, of course, was a few weeks before everything was resolved. With that much help, Fraser could quickly find a suitable apartment. He insisted that Linda participate in the decision, and after everything was settled, he moved in right away with Diefenbaker. It was one of those ground floor apartments in the old town, in a building with only seven apartments, a little less than a townhouse, but with spacious quarters and an underground laundry room. There was a small planter under the windowsill, so Linda could grow herbs for tea if she wanted to. There were still some small repairs to be done inside the house, and Fraser took care of them personally, while Linda was preparing for the move. She had legal details to settle with Dr. Lennyard.

Fraser's new home was certainly not a  slum house , but it suffered from the same  predicament as the previous apartment: lack of furniture. Linda's imminent arrival would probably not change anything, because the girl lived in a furnished apartment. Neither of them had many belongings. In fact, it was a couple in which Fraser was the most "wealthy", because he had at least the old chest where he kept the things of  his late  father  Robert Fraser.  Frannie managed to organize an impromptu bridal shower so that Linda and Fraser would have at least kitchen utensils in their new home.

Finally, the big day came. Linda packed up her things, said goodbye to  her long-time landlady , and asked her to come and visit her at the new house. The older woman hugged her fondly, said that she was almost like a daughter and that she was very proud not only of Linda herself but also for having found a wonderful companion like Fraser. The girl flushed, and thought the reaction had been much better than Mam m a  Vecchio's .

Ray's mother had a huge heart. Italian, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman. Initially, she had been happy with Fraser and Linda's decision and accepted the invitation to visit them, but a few days later, she asked Linda to speak frankly. Speaking as if she were a mother with her daughter, the Italian had warned the girl about the importance of the step she was going to take, that it was like a marriage, but that in reality, it was living in sin, and that she could not set foot on a home like that. Linda tried to explain that Dr.  Lennyard was the one who could decide on her eventual marriage. But like any mother, Ma  Vecchio had made it clear to Linda that this was her opinion, although she did not fail to love neither Fraser nor Linda for what they were about to do.

Ma  Vecchio attempted a similar conversation with Fraser, but this time Ray intercepted her before she subtly blamed the Canadian for “dragging Linda into a sinful life” . Ray argued with his mother, and  like  every Italian argument, there were screams, accusations flying, then tears, hugs and forgiveness. The commotion did not last more than three days, and there were no major  hardships after Ray made his mother promise to visit the couple.

When Ray parked the  Riv that Saturday morning, Linda looked at her new home and felt her throat tighten. What could she be afraid of? Fraser would never hurt her, and she said he would gently teach her to live with someone. So she could only be afraid to fail  and hurt Fraser. She consciously knew that she would never do anything to hurt the person she loved most in life. But unintentionally ...

Ray felt his green eyes sparkle as he looked at the entrance to the building and said, smiling, “ Come on, Linda. Benny is waiting. ”

She looked at him and took him by the a rm, still unable to take a step.

“ Ray. This is my home. ”

“ Yes , beautiful. ” He stopped, put her suitcase on the floor and pointed to the building.  “ There is your window. You and Fraser chose it to be your home. What fascinates you so much? ”

She sighed, “ This is the first thing that is really  _ mine _ , Ray. The old apartment was chosen by Dr.  Lennyard ; the job , too. I don't know much about life, Ray. I can't have many things of my own because I'm tutored. So, having my home ... is ...  a big deal. To me, it is . ”

T he Italian smiled with his eyes.

"And you have every right to be very proud, Linda. Everyone who knows you  is quite aware  that you always worked hard for what you wanted. Nothing was easy for you.  I am proud of you, Fraser is proud of you, too.  Now you can give yourself the right to enjoy what you have achieved. ”

Linda's eyes were even greener with tears, and on  a  whim she kissed his cheek.

“ I love you, Ray. ”

“I love you t o o, sweetie . But we better get in side now , because I think there’s a very anxious Canadian in there waiting for us. ”

The two entered, hand in hand. Fraser was waiting for them at the open door,  Dief wagging his tail. His smile lit up the entire ground floor.

“ Welcome to your  new  home, Linda. ”

She blushed and hugged him, not knowing where she  found voice to answer, “ Thank you, Ben. I am very happy. ”

“You’re home now. ”

They kissed, and Ray smiled, then said, putting Linda's suitcase on the  floor, “ Well, if you don't need me anymore, now I have to go home. I promised Mom that I would fix the kitchen  sink . ”

"Thanks for the ride, Ray." Linda reached over to kiss his cheek.  “ And for everything else. ”

“ You a re  very  welcome. Hey, do you want to go out later an d dine out ? You know,  to c elebrate. ”

Fraser said, “Maybe tomorrow, Ray. Linda must be unpacking all day today and she may get tired. I don't want to stress her out.”

“ I understand ,” he  nodded.  “T omorrow, then. ”

Linda  promised, “ Then I'll cook. If we are going to celebrate our new home, it should be done here, not in a restaurant. ”

“Good idea,” The Italian smiled . “I f you need me, you know where  to find me . ”

"Thanks again, Ray." Fraser smiled at his friend, gratitude plastered on his white teeth.

Ray was dispatched in a kind and decisive manner, and then Fraser took Linda's suitcase to the bedroom, saying, “I reserved a part of the closet free for you. But if you need more space, you can just take the red dress uniforms to the other room.”

“I don't use that much space. ”

“Well, you used to have a whole room all to yourself.”

She smiled, shyly , “ The way you say  it sounds as if it was  a huge room, Ben. You know it wasn't like that. ”

“ At least, now you can use a bigger bed. Frankly, I am very grateful for that. ”

Linda blushed and looked  down demurely while Fraser put the suitcase on the bed. Then he put her hands in his and  asked, “D o you need help unpacking? ”

“ Not really, thank you. ” She  opened the  luggag e.  “ So, if you have something to do,  please don’t let me be in your way . ”

“ Great. I really have something to do. ” Linda watched as he sat on the bed, watching her open the suitcase.  “ I want to  see all your lingerie. ”

Linda's face went pink and she exclaimed,  scandalized, “ Ben ...! ”

He smiled innocently, looking  as if he was  ten years old, his eyes  shining.

“I 've  been looking forward for this. ”

“T o see my lingerie? ”

“ Not only for that .” He smiled again, and this time it was one of those breathtaking smiles, as only Fraser could give, and only for the more  fortunate. “ I was looking forward t o be like this, in an intimate way with you.  I feel so happy. ”

“I'm happy, too.” She smiled and bent to give him a peck in the lips.  “But I better start unpacking these, or I'll never finish it.”

“ Okay .” He sighed and stood  up. “ Then I won't disturb  you any longer . I will make lunch for us. ”

“ You don't have to do that. I can do it later, Ben. ”

“But I have already started . It's a welcome lunch, and I want to do something special. A surprise. ”

She smiled, “I look forward to it.”

“ So you better  get started in unpacking.  The sooner you  start; the sooner it will end. ”

“ Right. ”

Linda started unpack ing her clothes and found help in none other than Diefenbaker. The wolf looked upset with Fraser, who had unceremoniously kicked him out of the kitchen. Lupine help was limited to moral support, of course, but Linda was grateful for it. She was really starting to get scared of it all. What if she failed Ben? She didn't want to disappoint him with even the most ordinary things like taking care of the house.

She had already packed the suitcase and was in the bathroom, taking care of her small toiletry bag, when Ben came in and asked, “How is it going?”

“ Almost ready .” she asked . “ What about lunch? ”

“ Also almost done. We're  not so bad, are we?”

“Sure not,” she smiled. “ Is there time for me to take a shower? I don't want to eat feeling dirty. ”

“ Of course lunch can wait. ” He  got close to her from behind. “ But  _ I _ can't wait. ”

Linda felt  Fraser’s square , big hands snaking around her waist, pulling her close to him, and she felt something melting inside her. She closed her eyes, let the shampoo she was  holding fall from her hands. Fraser brushed her hair off her shoulders so that  he could fill the right side of her neck with tender kisses, making her shiver slightly, and her hands went to his arms, to feel his warm skin under hers. His hands went inside the shirt she was wearing, brushing the delicate skin of her belly. Then he whispered in her ear, while  trying to nibble on her earlobe, “ You know ... I also start to feel a little dirty  myself ... Do you mind if I ... join you? ”

His words and the husky voice with which he spoke sent a charge of energy straight to her gr oin, and she could barely speak, “ The shower ... is it big enough for both of us? ”

The nibbles on her ear did not stop.

“I am sure we can manage… something ... ”

Linda shivered and stroked h is arms with her nails, shaking, “ Sure we can... ”

His hands found the hem of  her shirt and pulled  it up, her arms  raised , eyes still closed, savoring  every sensation . Fraser looked at Linda's excited face in the mirror in front of them and felt even harder at the sight. He opened her bra and left her naked from the waist up, her nipples hard, her hips  swaying toward his groin.

Linda turned around and covered his lips with hers, her hands pulling up his shirt,  tucking it out of his jeans. Her tongue  performed some acrobatics inside Fraser's mouth, her hands undoing his belt, opening his pants. Fraser slid his hand down her back and into her pants, grabbing her buttocks under her panties.

It was a strange and delicate operation,  yet they managed to  never  part their lips while undressing in the small bathroom. But they needed to separate eventually , which they did reluctantly. Linda kicked the clothes at her feet and knelt in front of Fraser, his erection touching her cheek. She looked up, saw the anticipation on his face when their eyes met, and her blood sang in h er veins. Her hands caressed his thick thighs, then the inside of them, while her mouth filled the pale skin with small kisses full of reverence. Fraser felt his knees fail when her lips touched the  small globes and  her hands caressed his rigid bottom. The sensations Linda  elicited from him made  Fraser doubt  his own sanity.

His hands were now threading her silky hair, his eyes were closed, and her tongue was enveloping his manhood in a sweet, sensual and languid caress. She caught it whole inside her mouth for a moment, but Fraser was so swollen that she was afraid to choke, and started using her tongue to attack the pink tip of his penis. He hissed with pleasure, excited, but he didn't want to end so quickly.

Suddenly, Fraser stopped her, raised her up, grabbed her legs with his arms, and lifted her up in the air so that he could stick his face between her breasts and nibble them properly. Linda cried out at the impetuosity of his movements, and used her hands to guide his head to her breasts, and naturally she put her legs around his waist to prolong the contact of his lips on her breasts, then hooked her arms around his shoulders, in order to fully support herself in the air.

Fraser's mouth traveled upward to Linda's neck, and he  swayed his hips , trying to guide his swollen manhood into her entrance. Sensing his increasing masculinity near her moist center, Linda moaned and locked her ankles behind him, using her hips to help  guide  Fraser inside her .

When Fraser managed to  unite their bodies together with the two of them standing in the bathroom, he groaned in triumph, and Linda let out a cry of pleasure. It was up to her to move to bring him further inside her, and she felt that he was getting even more swollen inside her. She buried her head in his shoulders, holding on only to his passion, the fire growing in his gut. Fraser was lost in the movement of his hips, gaining more and more access inside her, riding her wildly and throwing her head back in ecstasy.

The intensity of their  orgasm was not unexpected – nor  was it like anything they had ever felt. Linda saw stars, felt her body  twitching inside Fraser,  yet his own spasms were so strong that she couldn't tell whose tremors were shaking the joined bodies. But they could feel the liquid fire erupting from their bodies, the juices flowed as freely as the exclamation that their mouths could not make.

Strangely, neither Linda nor Fraser could fall to the floor, as they supposed. She dismounted  him, legs shaking like jam, and leaned against the wall, panting. She saw Fraser grab the sink with both hands, head sunk between pale shoulders, trying to catch his breath. Linda watched him until his breathing returned to normal, and when he raised his head , t he expression on his face when their eyes met was simply priceless:  mussed hair,  pink cheeks, aching blue eyes and a smile that could make women kill strangers in the street .

“ I believe that bathing is imperative now ,” he said, with a  half-smile . “For both of us.”

She h ugged his naked body and agreed,  “ Yes, c ome on. I will wash you . ”

They went to the shower and Linda kept her promise to wash  him thoroughly. Under the water, the slippery bodies were more than ready for new caresses, and they just  touched themselves, feeling each other's bodies, getting drunk on the delicate aroma of the soap Linda had just  brought. Fraser rinsed and said, “I love the way you smell” .

"It's just soap," she said cheerfully. "There's soap in Canada, isn't there?"

“ I wouldn't know for sure .” Fraser shrugged . “ I t didn't make it to the Yukon very often. ”

Linda turned from the show er and stared at him, wide-eyed.

“ You're  pulling my leg , aren't you? ”

He laughed out loud and said, “Yes.  But I love your face when you ask questions like that. ”

She was about to complain about the joke, when a loud bark was heard ou tside the bathroom. Fraser said, “ We better get out soon.  Dief is getting hungry. ”

Linda  smiled and turned off the water.

“ Oh, that's all we need. A hungry wolf. ”

Fraser got out of the shower,  frowning .

“ What is  tha t  – Oh , no. ”

And he ran out of the bathroom, grabbing a towel as he left. Linda called, “ Ben! ”

She quickly grabbed another towel and tried to dry herself a little, so as not to drip  all over the  apartment . When she remembered that Fraser had probably already made everything wet, she wrapped herself in the towel and left the bathroom ,  worried.

“ Ben ? ”  A horrible smell seemed to hit her straight in the face, like a blow . “ Oh, what is that? ”

Fraser was at the kitchen sink, smoke coming out. Lin da understood what had happened.

“ Oh no.  Was this our lunch? ”

He seemed very embarrassed to  admit , as he opened the window  to dispel the awful smell, “ Well, this gives us the opportunity to try the restaurants in the  area . I'm sorry, Linda. I wanted it to be a special welcome meal for you. ”

She approached him, kissed the ti p of his nose tenderly and said, “ Don't  beat yourself over it. You know, it was  quite  worth it. ”

“ I thought so , too. ”

Diefenbaker barked loudly. Fraser shrugged, “ Dief enbaker thoroughly disagrees. ”

"We'll make it all up to you,  Dief ," said Linda, kneeling down to pet the big white animal . "What do you think of pizza?  Does it seem  as  satisfactory compensation? ”

A happy bark.

“ Great, so it's going to be pizza. ”


	40. Chapter 40

## Chapter 40

It took some time for Diefenbaker to be in a good mood again, but the human components of the pack were not paying attention to him. After lunch (which  was  actually at mid-afternoon), they  ended up staying in  bed for the rest of the day. Linda's first day in her new home was cozy to the fullest, and Fraser had promised to  demonstrate her  how happy he was . Even if he  was not good at showing his feelings, it would have been impossible to hide them, because he was bursting with  joy . For the rest of the day, Linda and Fraser did nothing but cuddle up in bed, talking, laughing. They were glad to be able to stay like this without worrying about anyone  barging in . They had their whole lives to  be like that. It was a wonderful perspective .

“ Will it be like this from now on? ” Linda wanted to know, snuggled in Fraser's arms . “ Can we be together, and no one will say anything? ”

He laughed softly and replied, “Yes, it can be  like that  if we want it to be. ”

“ Is it a wedding? ”

“ Some people say yes. What do you think? ”

Linda thought  hard , and said, “ I better wait a little longer before I answer. ”

Fraser kissed the top of her head, inhaling the  nice smell that c ame from her hair, and observed, “ Nice answer. But will I have to wait a long time until you tell me how you feel? ”

“ No, I can say that now. I'm happy. And anxious. ”

“Why is that ? ”

“ I don't want to disappoint you, Ben. I am afraid to make you unhappy. You do not deserve that . ”

“ Do not think like that.  Everything will be all righ t, I told you. And you don't have to make any extra efforts, believe me. Perhaps, if you don't put so much energy into it, it will come more naturally. ”

Linda lifted her head to face him, her eyes shining in a humorous way, her lips in a half smi le. Fraser felt something there.

“ Did I say anything? ”

“ I was wondering what Ray would say if  he heard you talking like that. ”

He sighed, embarrassed, “ I understand what you mean. ”

“I'm not so sure.” Linda said, sincerely. “I just meant you should hear your own words. Ray keeps telling you to relax more and not take everything seriously.”

“ I've been trying. ”

"Me , too," said Linda. "I think we deserve credit at least for trying."

“ Want credits? ” asked Fraser slyly. “Co me here, I'll give you some credits. ”

Then he pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately. Linda opened her mouth to give access to Fraser's tongue and ran her hands over  his bare back, letting her fingertips admire his muscles. The tongues clashed, and they began to gasp. Linda broke the kiss, and raised her hand to caress his  beautiful face, fixing her green eyes on his blue ones. Her voic e was choked when she whispered, “ Thank you.. . ”

Fraser tilted his hea d, his hands caressing her arms.

“I d o not understand. ”

The tears in her eyes made them  even greener when she explained, “ I've never felt so happy befo re. I don't remember ever being happy before I met you, and  never so happy as I am right  now, in th is exact moment . I know that I am at the height of my happiness. I appreciate that, Ben. I don't know what I did to deserve this. ”

Fraser dried her tears and  pulled her into his arms.

“ You also ma k e me very happy. Not just today.  You made me face things about me that I wouldn't have done without you. You are kind, honest and very intriguing. There are still many things I want to know about you. ”

"There's not much to know about me, Ben," she said sheepishly. "And you  already  know everything. ”

“That  is what you think. You keep  depreciating yourself , as Ray says.  Give yourself some credit.  You are a wonderful person and have every right to be happy. I'm sorry that your life has been so hard to you until now. I know your past that cannot be undone, but we can work on  those things . Do n ’ t you think? ”

“ Ben .” S he hesitated . “ I would like to ... ask something, but I'm afraid of your reaction. ”

“ You need not be afraid  of me  and you know it. You can ask me anything. ”

“ What did you see in me?  You could have had any woman  you wanted,  _ every _ woman that you wanted.  Why me ? ”

“ That's exactly what I was talking about. You still find yourself unworthy of being loved, a person marked by life for being in a mental institution. But you are no longer there.  You haven’t been  there in  a long time, Linda. You are an attractive, healthy, sweet  young woman with a beautiful smile. And I love you .”  He smiled  naught il y.  “ So I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you're stuck with me. Because I won't let you get away from me that easily, even if you think you don't deserve  me . ”

His words touched her very  deeply , and she looked at him,  her teary eyes filled with gratitude and love.

“ I love you so much. I have no words to thank you . I could stay  like this for the rest of my life. ”

Fraser was serious when he looked into her eyes and said, “I hope you can. I  _ really _ hope, because I want you for the rest of my life. I've been alone for a long time, Linda,  and so have you. Now I'm getting used to not being alone, and I'm not willing to go back to what I was. ”

“ Oh, Ben ... ”

They kissed. 

“ But reality is inexorable ,” said Fraser .  “ The sun has already set, so I think we could walk and dine out, what do you say? ”

“ Great. But don't get used to eating out so often. ”

“ Today is  turning out to be  such  a special day. ”

“ And tomorrow  will be another.  That reminds me. Can we go to the market after dinner? I need some things for the dinner I promised Ray. ”

“ It's  OK . Diefenbaker will enjoy the exercise. ”

"Perfect," said Linda, and then her face went dark. "There's only one drawback. ”

“ Which one? ”

“ We have to get out of bed. ”

Fraser looked like he was thinking intensely, and then said, with a  smirk, “ What if I promised to make it up to you when we g e t back? ”

Linda looked like someone who was also thinking intensely, an d then replied, “ Only then will I be able to survive. ”

The night was cold and windless, and Diefenbaker felt good to see the vapors coming out of his snout. Fraser felt it too. It reminded him of home. It reminded him of the north. However, in the north, he had no one to walk around with, like that chilly Chicago night. Linda looked up at him, smiling and knowing how much he liked the cooler temperatures. She nestled even more against him.

They had soup in a small restaurant, and Linda smuggled a few pieces of bread to  Dief when she thought Fraser was not looking.  The wolf was going to be feed when they got home, but he behaved so well until that moment that Fraser let him have some  treats .

After picking up some  ingredients from the local mini market, they returned home, fed Diefenbaker properly, and quickly returned to their previous activity: spending the night in bed. But this time it was Linda who started kissing Fraser before he even finished undressing. She had climbed  up  on him just as he was removing his pants and took her Canadian mouth so frantically that soon she was having trouble remembering how  to breathe . Many minutes later, Fraser was lying on his back on the bed, Linda on top of him, still keeping his lips busy,  her hands across the vastness of a pale, soft chest.

On all fours , Linda used her mouth to venerate the curves of Fraser's neck and ear and then slipped to kiss his chest repeatedly, her tongue licking  a sensitive nipple after  the  other. The Canadian was panting, his brain paralyzed and unable to do anything but concentrate on his emotions, his body trembling at the mercy of the girl. She went down to h is navel, then tenderly kissed  his irreproachable thighs, without any hurry,  spreading h is legs to gain access to the inside, her head moving from left to right as she kissed the magnificent fair skin, moving upwards of the thigh. Then  her tongue reached the target.

It was difficult for Fraser to lift his knees and plant his feet on the bed, but the movement gave Linda the best angle to allow her mouth to attack the tender spheres between his legs. He was trying very hard to stay still, but his legs were shaking and he started to moan. Then she rubbed her tongue against the hard  flesh column before her eyes, licking upwards and then making the tip of her tongue touch the tip of  the pink head briefly. Fraser whimpered, hands clenched on the sheets, breathing in great gulps.

With her hands on the hard globes and her mouth in the most intimate touch, Linda sighed happily, her desire also on fire. Few things made her  prouder than  eliciting these reactions in her  stern boyfriend. She was committed to serving him at any cost,  to  making him scream with pleasure and making him lose control. To achieve this, she knew she had to be very careful and precise with her tongue, aware of the tender points on her lover's body, applying increasing pressure as the moans increased in intensity.

Suddenly, his hands reached her chin and lifted her face,  and he called, “Linda ... Please ... ”

She immediately ceased what she was doing and instantly  rushed towards him. Fraser was going to ask  her something. It was her duty to obey quickly and effectively.

“ Yes , my love. ”

Fraser shivered at the sound of her voice  – there was implicit trust, total surrender, complete  submission to him. He could hardly speak, “I need ...  you ... Please ... ”

She kis sed him repeatedly on the cheek, “ Anything ... I love you, Ben ... I  will do everything ... ”

“I need y o u… in me.... ”

Without hesitation, Linda spread her legs, rotating one to mount  him . With one hand, she gently guided the swollen penis toward  her , but at the last minute, brushed the member with love. Then, slowly, she took the tip of the object of her desire to the center of her feminine fire and deliberately looked into Fraser's face.

His eyes were squeezed, his cheeks were pink, his body was tight, his muscles were  taut , his features revealing that he was being tortured in an exotic and pleasant way. His  member in her hand was not only hot and red, it was also throbbing furiously, begging to enter her. Linda also felt her core dripping heavily, as if she were crying to be filled. She couldn't wait or prolong her pleasure any longer.

It was ironic that she should penetrate him. Slowly, just as Fraser  did to join her, Linda moved her body down into his sex, savoring all the ephemeral and intense sensations as he filled his womanhood. This moment was always very important to Linda: receiving Fraser into her meant accepting him totally,  fully , completely. At the same time that he owned her, she owned him. Within him, he was as much hers as she was his.

As Linda moved to take him deeper and deeper, her movements lost the consistency that had eluded her thoughts a long time ago. That wa s when animal passion took over, and his hips also helped Linda to impale herself inside him. She leaned forward, trying to embrace him, trying to make him an anchor for reality, while the explosion was building up inside her as much as inside him.

In no time , Fraser's entire body arched upward and, head back, he opened his mouth as if to shout, but no sound came out, not even a sigh.  Then a volcano erupted  inside her. Linda felt the river of lava coming from Fraser . It was a kind of signal, and the girl moaned loudly, before falling on top of the body below her. When h is body stopped shaking, Linda dismounted the  Mountie , and hugged him, sighing  satiated . Fraser moved briefly, just to make sure Linda was as close to him as possible. Then he slipped into a deep sleep.

The first night together in the new house had been everything they had always dreamed of. Except it was all true.


	41. Chapter 41

## Chapter 41

The next day was frantic. Linda woke up before Fraser, already in preparation for the promised evening dinner. She was nervous, but she didn't even know why. She was eager to please Ray, knowing that he was a demanding person with refined tastes.

Fraser was beside her. Diefenbaker was carefully watching them and the food they were preparing , interested in the procedures . Fras er tried to calm her down – again.

“ Linda, it's just Ray. He loves  your food. ”

She seemed to be everywhere in the kitchen at the same time, still trying to le arn the right place for objects, “ This has to be special, Ben. He's our best friend.  Strainer ? ”

He opened the door to the bottom closet, she took what she needed and heard him insist, “ I'm glad you're so  eager to please , but you may be overdoing it. ”

"I know I am," she admitted. "But Ray is a man of good taste, Ben. Not that you aren't either, but you have to admit that Ray is more experienced, at least more than the two of us. I don't want him to think that I'm not even able to cook him a good dinner.” Then she looked around. “Are the onions in the fridge?”

“ Yes. I'll get  them . ”

“It would also be  a  good  idea  to  take out the eggs. They  work best at room temperature. ”

Fraser d id as she asked, and then asked, “ May I ask where you learned to cook like that? You have only been living alone for a  couple of years, and that alone is not enough time to turn anyone into a self-taught chef. ”

“ I'm not a chef, Ben. But you seem to forget that I used to help in the kitchen of the mental institution where I grew up. The cooks there were very nice to me, and answered all my questions. ”

“ Oh, that explains a lot. ”

Linda continued to cut the onions, and instead of tears, it seems that the activity made her laugh. Fraser was curious about the reaction, “What is so funny ? ”

She blushed with embarrassment and d id not look at him, but replied, “ I remember the first meals I cooked for myself. I had to reduce the ingredients  by  50 times. All of my recipes were to feed an entire ward. I started donating food to the hospital kitchen, and they gave me new recipes. I mean,  _ individual _ recipes this time. ”

Fraser was trying not to laugh out loud. He just said, “I have two suggestions: never _ever_ mention this to Diefenbaker, or he may never forgive you for cooking so little.”

“ And the second? ”

“ Ray will love to hear that. Tell him  this story tonight. He can even encourage you to help cook for his family on Thanksgiving. ”

Linda's eyes lit up and she looked at Fraser,  an excited smile like a small child ,  “ Do you really think he would do that? ”

Fraser felt something in the air, but t hought it best to ask carefully, “Do  I think what, Linda? ”

“ Do you think he  will invite me to Thanksgiving?” She was really excited, barely controlled, like a child who had been promised to be taken to the circus . “ I mean,  Thanksgiving dinner  with  all  his family? ”

She was genuinely anxious about the idea. Still carefully, unable to understand the reason for  all the excitement, Fraser said, “ There's still a long time until Thanksgiving, Linda. Why do you ask? ”

“ I would love to go to Thanksgiving dinner at Ray's house, Ben. It's just that I've never been to one before. And Ray has such a big family. It  would be like in the  movies, you know? I would love for my first Thanksgiving  dinner ever to be like this, full of people , with turkey, yams and all . ”

Fraser looked at her in amazement. He had always considered himself a lonely person, especially after his mother's death and his father's  detachment . His family was not very open to showing feelings. Sometimes he was caught up in a wave of self-pity because he knew that loneliness had been his most likely  destiny until he came to Chicago.

Fraser was absurdly grateful for Ray and his generous friendship. It had meant a lot to him, a possibility of a less lonely future. But that had been until Linda came along. Now Fraser was sure that his visions of loneliness and bitterness were in the past.

And yet Linda was a real testament to everything  Fraser thought had been bad in his life. The girl had never had a Thanksgiving Day, probably not a single real Christmas. She had never had a family, not even a taste of everything that even he,  as lonely as he  had always been , had in childhood.  Fraser felt a sting of pain in his chest, hurt by the woman he loved, someone who had been denied everything. Even  things that could  never be denied.

Linda realized that his blue eyes were fixed on her with a strange expression, and she felt something wrong. Immediately,  s he  let go of the onions and came to him. “ Ben?  Is everything all right? ”

He stood up to embrace her tenderly. He loved her so much. She was so innocent, so sincere, and it melted his heart. She might not even know how much she touched him.

“It’s o kay, Linda. Everything will be fine. ”

Linda honestly did not know why Fraser had become so sensitive all of a sudden, so she kissed him very tenderly and lovingly, smiled and went back to her chores in the kitchen, thinking it would be better to just give him silent support. When he was ready to talk about whatever was bothering him, he would speak about it , and she would do everything she could to help him. She loved him. So she kept a  discreet eye on him, especially when he thought  s he wasn't  looking .

Meanwhile, Linda discovered that although she didn't have much in life, she missed a few small objects left in the old apartment to decorate the table. Maybe she could improvise something to serve as a chandelier, and – _oh-oh_ – she had no candles.

“ I need to go back to the grocery store ”, she  announced. “ I'll be right back. ”

Fraser promptly offered, “ I can  go buy what you need. ”

“No, don’t bother.  Walking will help me relieve the  stress . ”

“ You can take  Dief , if you want. ”

“ Good idea .” Linda crouched down and looked at the wolf . “Hey ,  Dief . Want to take a walk? ”

The wolf happily followed her to the market, then back home on  the cold, cloudy day. As soon as  Linda got to the apartment, she heard an unknown voice, “ You must be  Linda . ”

The girl stretched her neck beyond the shopping bag and saw a smiling woman in her 70s near the stairs. She asked politely, “ Yes, I'm Linda.  Have we met before ? ”

"I don't think so, but I know your husband's adorable dog," Diefenbaker suppressed a snarl. He hated being called a dog, even though he knew the old lady  meant no harm by it.

Linda tried to correct, “Actually, he's not  –“

The woma n didn't even bother to hear it, “ I'm Mrs.  Mutchnik , I live there in 2A. ” She pointed to the other door in the hall, and smiled even more . “ We are neighbors, dear. ”

Linda remembered what she was told at the institution.  _ Be polite, Linda. Never forget good manners. _

“It is so n ice to meet you, Mrs.  Mutchnik . I'm Linda, as you know. I just moved in . ”

“I can see that you must be very busy now, but it would be so good if we meet some time. Why don't you and your husband show up when you have a moment? My husband Elmer and I would love to meet the new neighbors and welcome you appropriately in the building.”

Linda blushe d and said, looking for the key, “ That's very kind of you , Mrs.  Mutchnik .  I’ll talk to Ben.  I appreciate it so much . ”

"I don't want to disturb you any more than you already are, dear,  so we can  talk to each other some other time. See you! ”

The woman disappeared into the hall while Linda entered the apartment, still puzzled.  Dief jumped to his favorite spot near the living roo m window, and Fraser kissed her.

“ I s everything all right? ”

"Yes," said Linda, putting the groceries on the counter, "I  met a neighbor, Mrs.  Mutchnik . She said she knew  Dief . ”

“She seems to be an excellent person. Did I mention that she cooked me a homemeade meal as soon as I moved in?”

“ Oh, how nice of her . ”

“ Apparently there is this custom of welcoming new neighbors. I didn't know this was common in Chicago. At least it wasn't in my old neighborhood. But the Inuit  always  do that. The activity  could mobilize the entire village. ”

Linda was genuinely amazed.

“ I never knew that. It is so lovely, Benton . It makes us feel ... I don't know, welcome. ”

He smiled.

“ That's the intention. Speaking of which, when we go to the  Mutchniks , remember me to take an indigenous remedy for Mr.  Mutchnik's leg. ”

“ And I think it's good to  bake a cake too, to thank them the reception they gave you. But we can think about it later. Now I have a lot to do. ”

“ How can I help? ”

“ Er ... I really don't know. You can set the table later. ”

“ Call  me  if you need  anything . ”

“ Okay, Ben. ”

As the night came, Linda grew more and more frantic. Fraser had already showered and watched as she looked for last-minute details to set up on the table.

“ Do you think this is good? ”

“ It's perfect, Linda. ”

“ Great. It has to be perfect. Oh, no. I still have to shower. ”

" Why don’t you do it now? " said Fraser patiently. " Perhaps it will calm you down.  You  seem very tense. You can cook, Ray will like everything, I'm sure. ”

She placed her palm gently o n his face, and smiled at him. 

“ You are so good to me. I don't know what I would do without you. ”

"You probably already did, because you didn't let me help." He smiled and kissed her hand.  “ Now you can go easy. ”

“ Yes , my love. ”

The y kissed quickly and Linda  showered , then engaged in a quick ritual of feminine beauty learned from Francesca,  with light makeup. After that, she chose a pair of earrings from among the few she had, and put on a cream dress also inherited from Francesca. She came out of the bathroom to put on her shoes and was so focused on finding them that she didn't notice the look that Fraser gave her discreetly.  Dief yelped softly, wondering when his  packmates would come out of heat.

When Ray arrived, the table was all set, and Linda was in the kitchen when Fraser opened the door. The Italia n handed the bottle to the host.

“ Hi, Benny. I don't know what y ou 're serving, but I thought it best to risk a bottle of red wine anyway. A  Sangiovese , for a change. ”

"Hi, Ray," said Fraser, and then pulled the newcomer closer to him, lowering his voice.  “ Linda is a little nervous  at  playing hostess today. ”

“ Why? ”

“ I do not know. I think it's the new house. So, if you please ... could ...  er ... You know ... ”

“It's all right. I'll take it easy.” He took a step when he saw Linda leaving the kitchen. “Hey, pretty girl. Wow, you look amazing.”

“ Thank you, Ray. ”

“ I brought wine, but we don't need to drink if you have planned something else. ”

“ Not really, and the wine w ill go very well with the food , thanks .” Linda smiled.  “ Please, sit down, Ray. ”

T he Italian looked around, and saw that the living room had no sofa, armchair, or any other furniture, so he had to sit right at the table.

“ So, Linda, how was the first day in the new house? ”

The girl was still in the kitchen, preparing  the salad dressing, and replied, “ Great. There is a market nearby, and I even met the neighbor today. ”

"It's nice to meet the neighbors," Ray observed. "I bet you'll get used to the new  surroundings in no time ."

Fraser said, “ Tomorrow morning we can walk to work, so that Linda knows how long it takes to reach the hospital on foot. ”

"I have to say," confessed Ray. "I feel much more confident parking the  Riv here than in the old neighborhood. Even the  winos here seem more normal. And there's an El station nearby, somewhere, isn't there?

"Two blocks down," confirmed Fraser. "It could be useful for Linda during school nights.”

"You'll need to show me where it is, Ben," she said, still from the kitchen. "There are a lot of things about the neighborhood that I still don't know. ”

“ We took  Dief to walk in a square last night. ”

“In the evening?” Ray was amazed. “It was very cold last night, Benny. Everyone knows that you are Nanook of the North, but Linda could have caught a cold.”

Linda defended Fraser, “ It wasn't that cold, Ray. Really. It was really invigorating.  Besides , I could not deny the walk to Diefenbaker. He looked so happy, and we had a lot of fun. ”

“ I'm not saying you didn't have fun. Besides, you two look so happy that not even a blizzard would be able to put that smile out. ”

Linda blushed, and Fraser suddenly found  his own shoes very interesting. Lind a asked, smiling, salad in hand, “Do we, reall y? ”

The Italian thr ew his hands up in exasperation.

“ Don't you know that the two  of you  are  beaming ?  You should have thought about living together a long time ago. ”

Linda put  the salad on the table and said, “ We still have a lot to do, in the house , too. But we can go slow. ”

"Yes," said Fraser, looking around.  “ Now I see the need for a  couch . ”

Ray said, “ You can say that again, Benny. I'm already salivating over the food and Linda didn't even bring  the main course ... ”

Bringin g the second course, Linda said, “ I hope you're hungry. I'm sorry, but I have a tendency to ... overdo it ... and I  might have…  er ... ”

Fraser added, as a jest , “She cooked for the whole wing again. ”

“ Ben! ”

As Linda blushed furiously and Fraser chuckled, Ray felt very confused. Then the story was told. It became the success of the night.

Throughout the meal, while they talked and ate, Linda could feel Fraser's eyes on her, when he thought she was distracted talking to Ray or taking care of the kitchen. She also noticed a different sparkle in his eyes, something she hadn't seen before, not with that intensity. He was behaving in a very different way, and he was not even trying to control himself. In fact, he was too relaxed and too comfortable to control himself.

As Linda cleared the table, Ray leaned back in the chair, patting his p uffed stomach and said, sighing, “ I have to say, Linda. One of these days you will outdo my mom in the kitchen. ”

“ Why, thank you very much, Ray .” The girl was even embarrassed with such a compliment . “ You know I think your mother is the best cook in the world. ”

"That was very good," said the Italian.

Fraser agreed, “ Yes, thank you, Linda. ”

She announced, “ I'm going to make coffee now. Ben, do you prefer tea? ”

“ No, a coffee will go well. ”

Ray sighed, “ Ah, the ple asures of domestic quietude…”

From the kitchen, Linda asked, “ Ray, are you going to join us tonight? ”

“ Join you… ? ”

“ You are most welcome if you want to spend the night, Ray. ”

Ray looked around. There was no sofa, and he knew there was no extra bed in the other room, either, just the couple's. So Linda could only be talking about one thing.

The Italian  needed to clear his throa t and take a deep breath to say, “ Er ... About the invitation, Linda, I would like to say something. ”

“ Yes, Ray? ”

He waited until she brought the steaming cups and then explained, “Well, it's not that I don't appreciate your invitation, or your disposition, nor your affection, your love. In fact, I feel quite honored, I really do. I want to make it very clear. But you and Ben are a couple, and I'm just an extra. It has worked well so far, but there is always a chance that something will happen, things may go sour, and our friendship may be hurt. I would hate that. You know, three is always a crowd, and I don't want to risk damaging our friendship.”

L inda said, with great sincerity, “ We love you, Ray.  We love you really much. ”

“ And I love you , too, Linda, that's not what I'm talking about. But there is  something else, actually ... I am thinking of going back to the available singles ’ market. ”

“Indeed , ” Fraser looked curious . “ You  never said anything before. ”

“ I was thinking. You know, maybe I could ask Martha out. ”

“Martha?” Linda repeated. “You mean, _my_ Martha?”

“ Yes, your friend Martha. Do you know if she has a boyfriend or something? ”

“ I don't know, Ray. Do you want me to ask her for you? ”

“ Oh, I  am not sure.” The Italian looked  excited and anxious like a teenager, and Linda thought it was so  sweet . “ Would you do that? ”

She smiled, “ Of course , yes. And I'm also going to tell her that she is  a  very lucky girl . ”

Ray kissed  his friend's palm, “ Thanks. ”

When they closed the apartment door, after saying goodbye to Ray, Fraser watched Linda go to the kitchen, knowing that she was going to  do the dishes.  Dief was already there, waiting for leftovers. Fraser followed and leaned against the do or, arms crossed, before asking, “Are you all right? ”

Linda turned on the tap and started to put the dishes in the soap y water, asking her back to him, “ What do you mean, Ben? ”

“A re you okay , after Ray chose not to ...  spend the night ? ”

She didn't even turn around and said, turning off the  water and picking up the  dishwashing  sponge, “ Yes of course. I think it's a shame, and of course I will miss him, but we are friends. Besides, I'm happy that  he is looking for a girlfriend. We are so happy, and Ray seems a  bit lone some sometimes . More than anyone else, he deserves to be happy, and to have  someone who loves him. ”

Frase r looked a little uncomfortable, “ I'm glad you feel that way. But to be honest with you, I didn't want Ray to stay here  tonight . ”

Linda had everything re ady to start washing the dishes, and asked, intrigued, “ Why, Ben? ”

“ I don't want to share today. ”

The way he said those words made Linda  shudder and turn to face him. Fraser had a different look in his eyes, as if he was hungry despite the delicious meal. Then Linda realized what the looks she had been getting all night were about , and felt a stream of blood flooding her insides.

Fras er came up to her  from behind  and whispered, “ I waited all day. Please ... come to bed. ”

The blood  flow  in Linda's body went straight to her lower abdomen, and she felt her knees go limp, and her breath hitched, when Fraser took her in his arms and begge d, as he kissed her neck softly, in a husky voice, “Leave the dishes. Please come .  _ Now _ . ”

The urgency in his voice made Linda moan softly as he pulled her closer to him, attacking the sides of h er neck mercilessly. Her head went up, and she offered him her throat, which he eagerly took, and his hands began to explore her back, looking for the edge of her dress. Linda was panting when she lowered her head to look for blue eyes, but she didn't have time for that. Fraser invaded h er mouth with a kiss.

It wasn't exactly a chaste kiss, and Fraser struggled to explore the velvety, warm interior of Linda's mouth as she sucked on his tongue in despair, her wet hands roaming the perfect muscles of the  Mountie’ s back. Their bodies quickly turned into large heat generators, their moans getting louder and louder, and they staggered  inside the  bed room,  Diefenbaker being forced to get out of their way quickly before he was summarily run over.

Even before the two of them reached the room, clothes flew through out the house, Fraser removing his in a fussy and impatient manner, and immediately removing those that Linda had not yet removed. They knelt on the bed, naked, hands touching their partner's beloved body. There was impatience in Fraser, excited as Linda had rarely seen him, his eyes radiating a fire that excited her. He was trembling when he hugged her again, kissing so fiercely that Linda began to fear that he might have a violent outbreak. Although she knew he would never hurt her, Linda felt a kind of declaration of possession in the way Fraser demanded his female body.

When he laid her on the bed, his lips always glued to hers, his hands went straight to her breasts, to be touched, caressed, the delicate skin on fire. Her nipples were already hard and raised with the sensations he was making her feel, and she arched back, her bre ath hitching when she whispered, “ Ben ... Oh, Ben ... ”

Her voice came out in jets, and Fraser was excited to think that he had left her in  such state. He bent over her, kissing her breasts, his hands going even lower, through the curly jungle of silky hair below her navel, his finger brushing the delicate button of pleasure. Linda almost howled and arched against his hand, trying very hard not to scream in delight, as her hips rose, seeking more contact with his hand.

Immediately her hand began to insinuate downward, searching for the impressive column of firm  flesh that nudged her in the leg, and caressing the delicate skin when he  found it. Linda didn't have much room to move, so she made up for it by greedily brushing Fraser's manhood and trying to reach the two sensitive globes between his legs. When she did, he  began to groan.

The reactions soon brought Fraser into activity. He used his hand to reach inside Linda's thigh and move her two legs in such a way that he felt her knees at his waist, and his fingers were alternating between exerting delicious pressure on her clitoris and sliding i nside her moist and fiery  core . The girl squeezed, expanded, her hips going up and sideways towards his fingers, her body arched, her eyes squeezed shut and her jaws clenched to prevent her from screaming.

Then Fraser moved her legs again, opening them as wide as he could in order to get  himself  inside her. First slowly, then  thrusting , taking all of Linda's breath and voice, even removing her  very ability to moan. When she managed to breathe again, he was intent on lying on top of her, moving his hips not only back and forth, but also side way s, pressing on the clitoris, increasing their pleasure.

Linda could have sworn that this time she saw stars streaking the sky  of her mind as pleasure turned to sweet pain in her gut. Then came the white, hot explosion for the second time, and she opened her mouth as if to scream, but was unable to make a sound. Her muscles twitched, closing over his penis buried inside her. She almost choked.

Her orgasm was so powerful that it threw Fraser into ecstasy before he had originally planned. When he felt the pressure on his member and the moisture that flooded him, he groaned, sending his seed into her womb, the sound like a wolf's howl, a warrior's cry in triumph, a declaration of possession.

Fraser threw himself over Linda, her arms already prepared to receive him, to kiss him gently in the dark hair as he cuddled in her, using her breasts like a pair of soft, warm pillows, quickly listing to lethargy induced by post - coital delight. As usually happened, Linda fought tears of joy for the love of this man, a love so great that it almost frightened her. She curled up so that he was covered by her naked body, protected and calm, before she fell asleep herself.

Unused to sleeping with someone, Linda would wake up to any small movement of Fraser, then go back to sleep, cherished by the soft beat of a Canadian heart. Maybe he was just as nervous as she was about the next day, when they were both going to work with a new status. Now they "lived together".

Linda got up to wash the dirty dishes in the sink, which she did as quietly as she could. Then  s he went back to bed, receiving silent reproaches from  Dief for exposing h er nakedness wh ile walking around the house at night.

When she returned to her room, the sight of a sleeping Fraser made her melt inside, as she always did. She loved him so much. And now, everything indicated that it would be forever. She could hardly believe it.  She was so happy.

She got  back in the bed carefully, and the movement made Fraser turn and stretch his arms to pull her close to him. When he failed to find the smooth sk in, he raised his head sleepily.

“Linda ...? ”

S he whispered, kissing his chest, “ Here, Ben, my love. ”

Throwing herself into his arms, she put her head on his broad, muscular chest, feeling his warm skin against hers. His heartbeat, calm and regular, gave  her  all the peace  she needed to go back to sleep.


	42. Chapter 42

## Chapter 42

The early hours of  Monday morning were the most  hectic in the new home. Linda was finishing  her morning shower when she saw Fraser in the bathroom, his face covered in foam, and he held up a long blade with his right hand. Embarrassed, he  shrugged , without taking his eyes off the mirror, “ I need to shave. ”

Linda had a towel against her body when she got out of the shower and asked, “May I watch?”

Her eyes seemed to sparkle, the way Fraser knew  this happen ed whenever she found something fascinating and exciting. He was intrigued.

“ Want to  watch me shave ? ”

“ Do you mind?  I f you're going to be embarrassed ... ”

“ No, Linda, it's not that , but... . Why would you want to watch me shave? ”

She looked a little awkward.

“ I know it's weird. But it's something that men do, isn't it? ”

“ Ye s, it is. ”

“ It's so ... masculine. I find it fascinating. ” She lowered her head , embarrassed. “ I'm silly, I know. I made you uncomfortable. Sorry, Ben. Forget it. ”

Linda  turned to leave , and Fraser stopped her.

“ No, Linda, don't go. You can watch it if you want.  Would you like me to teach you? ”

Her eyes shone even more.

“ Teach me to shave you? ”

“ That's right. ”

“ But Ben, it's a sharp blade. I can  cut you. ”

“ That's why I'm offering to teach you. But I will warn you: there is a price. ”

“ A price? ”

He smirked, “ I want to look and learn to shave your legs. ”

Linda did not share the smile and said,  puzzled, and genuinely confused.

“ Ben, I don't shave my legs. ”

The revelation took him by surprise. He looked at her, she looked at him, then he couldn't resist the temptation: he bent down and stroked  her legs wi th his hands. He was astonished.

“ But they're so soft. ”

She shrugged.

“I have never shaved them.  Frannie said that's why they are like that. I know there are women who do this, but they seem to have a lot of hair. I don't think I need to do that. If you want, I will. Do you want me to  shave them ? ”

“ Of course not, Linda. They are beautiful the way they are. But now I need to shave, or we'll be late. ”

“ Yes, of course, I also need to get dressed. But ... promise that I can see you shaving another day? ”

“ Promise. ”

Linda returned the smile he gave and went to get dressed. They walked together to work ,  Dief trotting beside them, and the first stop was at the hospital. They didn't have time to have lunch together, and Linda had classes in the evening, so Fraser decided to come and pick her up after class. She smiled tenderly when he lifted his head to kiss her goodbye at the hospital entrance. Then she went in side the hospital, and he and Diefenbaker left for the Consulate. 

Man and wolf  made it in good time: Inspector Thatcher had not yet arrived, but Turnbull had finished heating a pot of water at the exact  point for herbal tea. Fraser had time to process the reports  his superior wanted so much. Fraser found that he was happy, but not exactly frantic because he was so happy. It was  a  calm and quiet  happiness, peace of mind and security. Most of that mood had to do with Linda, of course. He sighed, pleased.

Fraser was still thinking about those feelings at night, while he waited to see Linda come down the stairs from school. Then he spotted her, emerging from the crowd of students, chatting absently with her friend Martha, and his heart seemed to swell. Linda shone with happiness. Fraser could have sworn there was light emanating from her,  a gleam  soft and gentle like her. When she lifted her head and found him, her eyes flashed, green headlights of the purest love that shone just for him. How could  he resist that? Suddenly, the Mount ie 's pants  felt extremely tight.

“ Hello, Fraser. ”

He hadn't even realized that he had almost  missed greeting  Martha. He blushed, embarrassed.

“ Oh, good  evening , Martha.  How are you?”

“Great, thanks. Hey, Fraser, can you help us? I talked to Linda. Maybe we can study together on Thursday night, because we don't have class. I'm having trouble keeping up with American history.”

“In that case, I'm sorry I can't be of much help to you, ladies. I'm  Canadian . ”

Linda said, “ It is true. What about Ray, Ben? He's American. ”

“ I'm sure Ray will be happy to help. I will talk to him tomorrow morning. ”

"Great," said Martha. "And then we can have dinner."

“ Yes ” said Linda . “ Come to our new apartment. I will cook. ”

“Then I'll bring the dessert ,” Martha offered . “ Cool, so we're  all set . Now I have to go, guys, or my sister will be worried. Bye, Fraser. See you tomorrow, Linda. ”

“ Good night, Martha. ”

** * * * **

The couple went out with Diefenbaker, and walked home, each talking about their day. Except for the wolf, they ended up without dinner, but Linda made sandwiches while talking about the study  date with Martha. Fraser suggested that Linda could also take a card from the library, and consult books on American history. Since it was something Fraser didn't know much about either, they might be able to read together. The idea excited her.

“ I never thought that day would come. ”

“What do you mean ? ”

“ Finally came the day when something  came along and you don’t know about it.”

“ I  don’t understand. ”

“ Ben, you sometimes seem to know everything  about every single thing under the sun . You always have an answer for  everything , you read a lot, you are so smart. Ray keeps saying that to you, so it's nothing new. That's why I find it strange when something comes up that you don't know deeply. ”

“See ? ” The smile he gave lit  Linda  up inside, and he placed her on his lap before kissing her . “ I can surprise you, even though you and Ray keep telling me that I'm not ... spontaneous. ”

“Me ? I never said that. But I'm happy to see that you want to learn something from me .”  She kissed him and then jumped off his lap . “ But now I need to clea n up the table, okay? ”

“ Do you ? Why, are you going to study now? ”

“ I'm not going to study, but I want to clean this up. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. But first I need to take a shower. ”

Fraser smiled a nd touched her arms, whispering, “ Good idea. Shower is good. I like showers. ”

His touch was sensual, his whispered voice was almost hoarse, a nd Linda felt herself faltering, “ Ben ... What are you ... ”

He didn't let her finish, whispering in to her ear, “ Let me wash the dishes. Take your shower quick ly , OK? ”

As he kissed her neck, Linda shivered a nd almost lost herself in reply.

“ OK. ”

Difficult as it was, the two separated, and Linda went to the bathroom, her heart beating faster with desire. She went under the water, letting the hot cascade relax her muscles and make her sigh, thinking about Ben. It was nice to be able to relax like that.

Suddenly, Linda felt vigorous arms grabbing her waist and hot skin like fire enveloping her wet, naked body. She jumped for a fraction of a second, only until she realized it could only be Ben. Their touch was electric and slow, a zillion energies being exchanged. Caressing each other, kissing bodies, they cleaned themselves, warmed themselves, dried themselves and then went to bed.

Inside the room, Linda was finally able to dedicate herself to a task she had been wanting a lot: she washed Fraser's body again,  now  with her lips, from head to toe, stopping and changing with each movement he made, causing him to  go to  the li mit . Her fingers caressed his ribs, while her mouth was occupied on the soft, pink male nipples, and in the next moment, she would be running her tongue over the back of his ankle, tickling the back of his foot. Fraser could barely touch her, as she was constantly changing positions, climbing over him, giving the impression that she was everywhere at the same time, as he felt kisses and caresses all over his body. There didn't seem to be a single part of his body that Linda hadn't personally attended to.

The trembling in the sculptural marble body only started to become serious when the tongue left a trail of wild fire on the inside of his perfect thighs, and she positioned her head between his legs. He knew what was coming next, and just thinking about it, he felt  himself grow, hard and throbbing, moaning louder.

Sensing Ben's arousal, Linda gently wrapped his impressive erection between her fingers, and used her lips to caress the hard balls just below the hot, pulsating cylinder. Her  tongue was used all over the place, and even beyond what she imagined. At that point, Fraser squirmed so much that she had to use her hands to keep him still. And so she was in a more than excellent position to slowly lick the tender underside of stiffened globes. The unexpected touch made Fraser arch and try to get air, excited. The moans changed, and Linda understood that it was a kind of signal.

Her hands moved to touch the perineum and the tongue traveled to the growing erection, now moving from the base towards the head. Her name became a whispered mantra, and she placed the tip of her tongue on the wet tip of the head of the penis, dripping, hard and swollen, furiously pink. In a quick movement, Linda sank her head down and buried her mouth to fill it as much as possible with his essence. Fraser was so big that she wouldn't be able to swallow it all at once, as she would love to. She feared suffocation, and preferred to let the tongue do acrobatics and contortions around the penile head.

At that point, the Canadian felt helpless, unable to even realize that he had long lost control of his body. The hips moved according to their own volition, taking advantage of Linda's silky lips to feel the friction on the delicate skin of his erection. Only then did she make her actions include sucking. His hands went to her hair, while her hands brushed the spheres in a special way: they sought to stimulate the prostate.

Fraser was so e xcited that the whole area of  his groin was starting to exude pure heat, and his short breathing left him intoxicated from lack of oxygen. The brain was reaching the critical zone, and he felt a familiar tingling sensation pressing on the blood, causing the veins to swell. He tried to warn Linda. But a faint sound was all that came out of his throat, and he could have sworn he had stopped breathing when the liquid seed gushed straight into Linda's throat and his whole body jerked in violent spasms, like electric currents, air being swallowed in great gushes, the face contrite in an excruciating and loving pain. She was so excited to hear those muffled sounds that she quickly swallowed all the milk, then passionately cleaned his body, which was beginning to stabilize.

There, while he noisily tried to catch his breath, she  caressed his hair and looked at his face. Fraser was absolutely stunn ing , and she could have turned into a misshapen mass  of emotions right there. Her hand came close to that dream face, trembling, as if she feared to touch such a precious object. He was asleep at that moment, Linda knew, and that thought made her heart ache with so much love. She would like to invade his dreams, just to be sure they wouldn't be bad, that they wouldn't hurt him.

Careful as always, Linda took the covers and covered his body before it lost more heat. So she had to concentrate on calming herself, as she was still excited and her wishes had not been satisfied. Not that she cared. All that mattered, all that _ever_ mattered was that Fraser was satisfied. She would do anything for him, and ignoring her own desires for him was not even a sacrifice. Linda had no pride whatsoever when it came to Fraser. With that in mind, she tried to get some sleep.

The movement was barely noticeable, but Linda woke up  startled . She was not used to sleeping with someone, so even Fraser's slightest movement would wake her up. She lifted her head, which was on Fraser's chest, and was relieved to see that her stupidity had not disturbed his sleep. Linda was ashamed of what she felt, and slowly pulled herself out of his arms so that he could sleep better. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep for a long time, her heart still racing. She was happy that Diefenbaker had chosen that night to sleep by the stove, where it was warm er .

It was all so new to her. Even Linda could feel that she was different herself. She had never felt this way before. She was so in love with Fraser that she would not deny  him the tiniest wish, anticipate  his least whim. Now that she was with him permanently, Linda almost wished she didn't have to go to work, so she could spend her entire days  adoring him, worshiping him.

And that was more or less what she was doing at that very moment. Linda had seen Fraser asleep before, but every time she did, her heart did somersaults. Freed from that stern Mountie mask, Fraser looked like a sleeping boy, and this vision often reminded Linda of  angel  stories a nurse told her at the orphanage when she was a child. Yes, Fraser was a kind of personal angel of hers. Many times and in many ways, he had protected her and saved her life.

For starters , Linda now felt more confident in herself, more worthy of being loved. Her body was also seen as something to be  cherished , not an instrument for people to use. Sex was a ritual, but not  of violence and degradation, as she had always experienced. It had become an act of love, respect,  mutual  giving and commitment.

Linda always felt very respected when they made love. In Linda's view, it was the first time she had made love, compared to having her body abused and humiliated. There  was tenderness beyond the limits, and the way the sparkling blue eyes shone at her almost brought tears to her green eyes when she remembered, in the middle of the night, the moments they shared.

Before she started to cry with joy, she preferred to admire the man sleeping beside her. She  lied down carefully, and Fraser shifted a little, his head going to her side, her hair spreading out, a hand coming to rest on  his chest, where the buttons of h is long red pajamas were half open, revealing impeccably white skin. Linda's stomach experienced strange sensations when she remembered what she had done hours ago with that chest, covering it with kisses, her lips tracing a path to the beautiful sex now covered in red wool.

Her breath caught when she remembered the expression on Ben's face when her mouth reached the top of his thigh. Linda kissed the scars on his thigh (a stab and shot, he had said) and consulted him with her eyes, to be allowed to give him pleasure. The sight of his face was breathtaking – always. H is eyes were full of confidence and love, and all she wanted to do was make him scream, fill him with happiness and as much sexual pleasure as she could give him. It was Linda's way of returning some of the happiness  Fraser had given her.

All of these thoughts did nothing to help Linda relax. In fact, the girl was getting even more restless and excited. It was strange to feel so  horny just a few hours after such passionate activity. If Fraser was awake, she could be caressing his body, making his blood boil by placing h er hands on the points she already knew were sensitive. She loved to hear those little moans in his throat, the shallow breaths escaping his mouth when she did unexpected things. She loved even more to know that she was able to provoke these emotions in Fraser, and that now she could also feel some pleasure. That Fraser let her feel it was a treasure beyond expectation.

Linda wished that Fraser was awake, so that she could do everything her mind told her at that moment, in the middle of the night. And she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, not in such a state of sexual arousal. If she were a man, she would probably be having  a stiff sex at that moment ...

The trembling hand stretched out in front of her lover's face, and she felt the heat of his body caressing her fingertips before deciding to withdraw her hand, afraid to wake him. And then those impossibly blue eyes opened straight at her.

Linda was startled and  retrieve her hands,  flushed in  the  dark room.

“ Sorry, Ben. I didn't want to wake him up. Please go back to sleep. ”

He  said. “ You didn't wake me up. I was wondering how long it would take  for you to wake  me  up. ”

“ I didn't do it on purpose, Ben. I would never wake  you up ,” s he apologized . “ Why would  you think  I’d do  such a thing? ”

“No, you don't understand. You _could_ have woken me up.”

“ Why do you say that? ”

“ Because if I was awake and looking at you the way you were looking at  me; I would have woken you . ”

“You would have? ”

“ Yes, because if I'm correct, I think ... you need to ... spend some extra energy ... ”

The way he said it left no doubt about his intentions. Linda felt the skin on her face getting warmer and knew she was blushin g even more, but managed to ask, “ Am I that ... transparent? ”

F raser raised his upper body to support himself on his elbows and look at her, saying in a soft voice, “ Linda, I think you got it wrong. Let me say this clearly .” H e was also flushed, she noted . “ You can express your sexual desires whenever you want. Wanting to make love is not a crime, and it also expresses that we want each other. ”

She was ashamed to the utmost, and had her head down as  she practically murmured to him, “ Sorry, Ben. ”

“ No need to apologize .” He said gently, now sitting on the bed, before placing her in his arms lovingly . “ I just want you to know that there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it might even make me more ...  er ... interested. ”

Linda looked into Ben's eyes, which reflected the street lights, and declared ferv ently, “ I love you so much, Ben. Without you, my life would be nothing. I know that I would die without you. ”

"Then you will live forever," he said, smiling, his voice soft as he brought his face close to hers. "I will never leave you. I won't even let you go. You are mine... ”

She repeated, “ Your s ... ”

They kissed passionately, and Linda felt the fire building inside her, the trail hot in her veins. Without parting with him, she made her fingers go to the buttons of the red pajamas, and Fraser's hands went to the hem of the light nightgown to remove it. When she felt bare skin against the air in the room, she shivered slightly, excited, and moaned under his lips, her fingers still unbuttoning Fraser's pajamas.

They finally broke the kiss to kneel on the bed, facing each other, undressing each other. Fraser's  long johns had always been a problem, but this time, they decided to slow down, Linda stroking each newly exposed part of the Canadian skin with her hands or lips. Even though she was highly excited, she felt Fraser's desire to slow down, savoring all the sensations to the fullest.

Fraser threw away the red woolen clothes and gently laid Linda on the bed, his eyes sweeping her whole body as her green eyes grew large and almost gray with desire, staring at him expectantly, full of passion and confidence. He knelt beside her, his big square hands caressing her stomach and breasts, sending waves of desire straight to her  guts . 

Linda couldn't help moaning softly, and then Fraser kissed her again, her hands caressing his cheeks, then her lips going to his neck, and from there to his ears. Only then could she hear the groans he made.  Trembling once more , she put her hands on his soft, warm back as he lay on top of her, his hands on her delicate waist. Then his mouth went b ack to her ear and he whispered, “ Linda ... Do you want this, Linda? ”

“Oh, Ben...” Where had she found  her voice?  “ Please... ”

“ Shhh ...”  He continued to caress her . “ You can ask,  my love ... Be patient .... You are mine .... ”

“ Ben , ” She called, panting, her voice  strangled. “ Oh, Ben ... ”

He kissed her shoulder, then went down to her breasts, making Linda squirm and arch on the bed, her moans increasing in volume and intensity and her breathing quickened. For a long time, he attacked her nipples, and Linda's fingers roamed black strands of silky hair, her hands spreading out to tousle her hair.

Then his hands went back to her waist and while his mouth joined hers, he made his hand go to the back of her thighs, and she squirmed even more, now totally mad with desire. Fraser was trembling, passion sweeping over him too, and he parted his knees. Linda helped him and lifted one leg up to Fraser's slender waist. He used his free hand to guide  his swollen sex into hers, and Linda let out a little squeak as she felt the Canadian inside her longing womb, completing it, making her feel stretched, sated. She had to stop a scream that accompanied the first orgasm  – one she had as soon as Fraser entered, followed by several others triggered by the first.

But she was not ready for the end. Instinctively, they began to move against each other, their bodies sticking together, mouths together, Linda having difficulty breathing. They were so locked together that she could feel his heart beating against her chest, beating fast and fast. Fraser had probably felt Linda's first climax and wanted to join her soon, who already felt another explosion on the way.

Due to a complete lack of oxygen, they had to separate their lips, breathing through their mouths. He pulled her against him, as if he wanted to enter her skin, and Linda moaned from the back of her throat, a sound that excited Fraser even more, her eyebrows arched, her mouth open without making a sound and the tip o f her tongue on her lower lip.

Fraser's movements sent Linda into  some overdose of excitement . She threw her head back and had to bite her lip to keep from screaming loudly, with everything he made her body feel, their hands clinging to him and probably leaving marks on the skin so light. She used her legs to grip him tightly, and he shook her back and forth, blood pumping furiously in her veins.

When Fraser suddenly moaned and  orgasmed , breath holding, Linda felt the gush of hot liquid enter her and fill her in an amazingly wonderful way, Fraser exploding above her.  She hurried to embrace him, and felt the fire bubbling up inside her too. This time, she tried to call his name, and apparently failed, because only whispers came out of her lips, between gulps of air, “ Bennnny .... ”

She shook violently, clinging to him, her overheated skin clinging to his, another furnace of energy and heat. For long minutes, all she could do was hold on to him, Fraser still inside her, also trying to catch her breath. When the two bodies started to cool, he disentangled herself from her legs and lifted her in the air, scaring her, “Oh! .. Ben!...”

“ It's all right. ” He gave one of those million -dollar smiles . “ Don't be afraid. ”

Fraser took her to the bathroom and quickly washed her body in the warm water and letting her do the same with him. Then he dried both bodies and carried her back to bed. When they lay back, she raised her hand to touch his face and looked at him, eyes full of devotion and love.

“ Ben, I love you so much. More than ever. ”

He kissed her and said, “ I love you too. Forever. And you can wake me up anytime to say that. Understood? ”

“ Yes, Ben. ”

"Now we better get some sleep." He smiled and Linda felt herself melt in his arms.  “ Good night. ”

She straightened up and, almost asleep,  whispered, “ I love you more than ever, Ben. ”

“ I love you forever. ”


	43. Chapter 43

## Chapter 43

With the exception of the lively Thursday, when the two couples got together at Linda and Fraser's house for the study of American history, life started to become quite domestic for Linda. Regular visits, recipe exchanges with Mrs. Mutchnik, introductions to local merchants, such as the grocer and the pharmacist, all of this became part of her new routine, as much as visits to the ICU to talk to patients, a practice that she had never abandoned. Nothing pleased the girl more than a quiet night at home with Fraser, with or without Ray, and usually at night they took Dief for a walk, or for wolf hunting exercises, as Fraser insisted. Unused to the notion of dates and romance, Fraser took her out to dance one night, at Ray's suggestion, and although Linda liked the novelty, she preferred the tranquility of the house. Yes, the pleasures of domestic quietude, as it had been described by Ray. She was beginning to think he was absolutely right.

School was also another big source of night activities, or else Fraser was stuck in some stakeout with Ray. In general Ray always complained that it wouldn't be fair to leave Linda alone, but she soon realized that there were things that Ray and Fraser needed to do together, as friends. On those occasions, if she were not at home studying, cooking for when Fraser returned or at Mrs. Mutchnik’s, she would go to North Octavia and visit the Vecchios. She was always welcome, and there was always something to do in the busy Italian home.

One night, Fraser ran home , alarmed .  He did not know where Linda was.  He had been at the hospital to pick up Linda after her shift and had been told that Linda had gone home earlier.  Actually, she went home s ooner than usual,  due to a problem  they failed to say.  As a result, Fraser  ran to the apartment , thinking the worst . When he arrived at his house, he  found out Linda was not alone.  There was a woman he didn't know, sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in  her  shaking hands.

"Ben," said Linda, as soon as he came in, "I'm glad you're here."

_She_ _looks_ _anxious_ , he thought, and he felt how much it affected him.

“ This is Mrs.  Dulcenza , Ben, and she has a big problem. Mrs.  Dulcenza , this is Benton Fraser, he's from the Canadian Police. ”

The woman, in her  early  forties, nodded at him, and only then did Benton realize that she was crying. She also had a black eye, a swollen cheek and a  busted lip.

Li nda  continued, “ She was  at the hospital, Ben, and she needed help. I hope you don't get angry, but I had to bring  her home with me. She had nowhere to go and needs a place to stay. ”

Fraser tried to calm  her down, “ It's okay, Linda. Why doesn't Mrs.  Dulcenza have a place to go? ”

"She's terrified of her husband, Ben," explained Linda.  “ He did  this to her. She barely managed to get her two children out of the house before he  came home drunk, from the bar. He would  have  hit the kids, too. ”

Fraser sighed and nodded. Then he sat dow n at the table and asked softly, “ Mrs.  Dulcenza , where are your children? ”

The woman could barely speak, sobb ing, with a strong Latin accent.

“ I left the two with a very kind lady from my church. They are safe, thanks to the Lord Jesus. For me, it's all that matters. I miss them, but that bastard won't get his hands on them. ”

The Canadian was very care ful in asking the next question.

“ Do you want to report what happened, Mrs.  Dulcenza ? ” The woman lowered her head,  tears streaming down her cheeks. “ I ask  this, because if you do that, then there is a chance we can protect you and your children from your husband. You will be able to go to a shelter, where you will not have to stay away from your children, and you will have protection. ”

She burst into tears.

“ I'm so scared ... ”

Linda cradled the  l ady 's head against her body, comforting her. When the lady controlled h erself, Fraser tried to explain.

“Yes, it is natural to be afraid. I also don't want to pressure you to do something that you think is dangerous. But I think it's time to also make your husband scared. And you cannot live in fear forever. You will have full protection from the State, but you need to consider filing charges so that he pays for the crime he has committed.”

The woman received Linda's support,  as  Fraser used  his charm and pure logic to convince her to press charges, and the three went with Diefenbaker for the 27th to record the occurrence of domestic disturbance and aggression. A social worker explained to Mrs.  Dulcenza everything that was going to happen from  that point on: they had the record at the hospital of the assault, the husband would be arrested, a bail would be fixed, and the case would go to the judge. If she wanted to file for divorce, the  S tate could also help with that. That night she would probably be safer in a shelter than at home, where two uniformed officers had already gone to arrest her husband.

Mrs. Dulcenza agreed to sleep in the shelter, and the next day she would see her two children. When she was done with the social worker, she came back to Linda and ran to hug her tightly, gratefully, thanking her a lot, calling her an angel. Linda was thrilled, and she was happy. Fraser thought he was going to burst with pride.

Ben and Linda decided to eat a hot dog from a street vendor, and even  Dief got a piece, then they went straight home because it was too late. It was a weeknight and Linda  was taking classes early next morning, while Fraser had to be ready to host some foreign delegations for a business breakfast.

In the shower, just after a quick love session, Fraser stroked Linda's wet body  and kissed her shoulder, saying, “ You made me very proud today, Linda. ”

“I did? How?”

“ What you did for Mrs.  Dulcenza was very touching. ”

“ I  didn't do anything you would n't do yourself, Ben. Besides, I was afraid to bring  her home without consulting you first. But there was nothing I could do to help  her . I saw  her in the emergency room, and she looked so alone and  so  terrified. Mrs.  Sorelli told me that she was so scared that she didn't even want to admit that she was beaten by her husband. It broke my heart, Ben. ”

“ I'm glad I could help. Helping people is good, isn't it? ”

“ Yes, it does. I'm feeling really good, now that I know she'll be able to sleep safely. ”

"And so are we," he said, turning off the water. "No more playing in the water. We have to get up early tomorrow. ”

“You are right , Ben ,” she said, taking the towel . “ Let me dry  you . ”

The next morning, Linda went to school in the morning and went to the hospital in the afternoon. That day of the week, she had time to have lunch with Ben, and sometimes Ray would join them too. That particular day, the three  of them went to a small restaurant near the district. The Italian commented, amused, “So, Linda, it seems that this time it was your turn to take Benny into one of those confusions that he keeps getting into us. Thanks, girl! Let him taste some of his own medicine.”

Linda did not understand the reason for Ray's sarcasm.

“ What are you talking about? ”

“I heard that the two of you showed up at night in the district, with a domestic dispute. Elaine told me that this time it was Linda who brought in the lost puppy.”

_ A puppy? _

“ Are you talking about Mrs.  Dulcenza ? ”

“ That's right .” He smiled, green eyes shining . “ You know, Huey is already waiting for you to show up to organize the files too, Linda. This is what Benny would do. ”

Linda almost scolded him, “ Ray! ”

The policeman continued, finding the situation increasingly amusing, “ It seems that this Canadian thing is contagious. Of course, my Italian genes must make me immune. Anyway, Linda,  it has  its advantages. You know, I'm sure if you get into five more of those weird Benny-like situations, then you can apply for Canadian citizenship. ”

Fraser stared at him, his face completely expressionless, his eyes furiously blue, intent on the famous "Mountie look". Linda knew this was just a facade, and she quickly said, “ Ray's just kidding, Ben. ”

Too late.

"Well, Ray," said the Canadian, "y ou really are a very lucky man. We were thinking of taking Mrs.  Dulcenza to sleep at  your place. There's a guest room over there, isn't there? ”

The smart little smile faded  quickly from the Italian's face.

“Fraser, I'm warning you, don’t you even _think_ – “

He was interrup ted by Ben, increasingly ironic, “ I am sure that your mother, as a good Catholic woman , would not deny shelter to a needy person. In fact, if encouraged, she might even give up her room. Do you agree, Linda? ”

The girl had a smile in her face when she answered, “Knowing Mrs.  Vecchio ’s generosity, I'm more than sure she would invite Mrs.  Dulcenza to the house, Ben. By the way, I saw some homeless people about two blocks from the apartment, you know? I wonder if Ms.  Vecchio would have an extremely generous heart to house these people and then  – “

Ray interrupted, “ Okay, okay, I got the message! Wow,  a guy can't even  kid around here anymore. Now  there are two of you and I am  just one! ”

Linda ha d an amused tone when she asked, “ Couldn't you convince Martha to balance the score? ”

At the mention of the blonde's name, Ray's expression changed. A radiant smile, his face lit up comple tely and he answered, awkwardly,  “ Well , I've been trying. But I still don't think it's time to ask her out. ”

Linda shrugged, “It’s up to you,  Ray,  but  I think she's interested. And willing. And waiting. ”

“O kay, okay, I'm going to  ask her out . Satisfied? ”  He shook his head . “ My God, Martha better side with me , or I'll be in big trouble. ”

Linda and Fraser laughed at their friend's false crisis, and the girl stoo d up, saying, “ I'm sorry, guys, but now I have to go. Do you have plans for tonight? ”

They replied in unison: “Stakeout.”

“Try not to work too hard.” She kissed Frase r. “ I'll try to wait up. ”

“ Have a nice day. ”

“Same to both of you. B ye! ”

Linda  ran to the hospital and arrived at the last minute. Upon receiving the day ’s rooster , there was also a message from Mrs.  Sorelli . Dr.  Lennyard was waiting for her.

"Ah, Linda, I'm glad you could come," said the doctor when she went in his office. "I need to ask you something.”

“ Yes , sir? ”

“ I am still involved in the custody hearings  and legal procedures  that we faced a few months ago. I need some information about the man who claimed to be your father. ”

Linda tried to keep the fear  out of her voice, but shuddered, “ Information? ”

“The police still have no new leads on those men, Linda, and they are  looking for anything you might know, any piece of information. Do you remember anyone  you didn't know  coming to the house? Did that man receive visitors? ”

That was easy to remember.

“ Absolutely none , doctor. Apart from Dr.  Lachen and Donna, no one else went to that apartment. I know now that afterwards I had a nurse named Erica, but I don't remember  much about  her. ”

“ She's  under investigat ion as well. I know we talked a lot about this, Linda, but you must understand that this is important for the investigation. ”

“ Yes, doctor. ” And she risked asking , “ They  couldn’t find that man,  could they? ”

“ No, and they couldn't even trace the money he gave you,  either . How  do you feel about that ? ”

Linda lowered her head and shrugged. After a pause, her voice shook when she replied, softly, “There’s not much I can do about that.  There is  hardly any point  to worry about it. I just  wished-”  S h e stopped herself ,  looking intently at her own feet , unable to proceed.

“ Just  wished what, Linda? ”

“ I just  wished I could  pretend  none of that e ver happened. ”

“ I'm sorry ,” said the doctor . “ You know it  is not possible , right? ”

She nodded and sighed. The doctor said, “Well, that's all, Linda. Oh, I also want to tell you about scheduling a check-up with Ms.  Sorelli . See if she can arrange it as soon as possible. I know you haven't felt the effects of those drugs in a long time, but I still think we'd better get a look at that.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, doctor.”

Linda went back to work trying to keep the memories away. Those horrible things were in the past, and she was safer than ever. Still, there was pain, she thought, as she meticulously cleaned and sterilized surgical instruments and other objects in the Operating Room. Then she started cleaning the floor and realized that she still hadn't scheduled the check-up that the doctor had ordered. It was a way of putting  her feet on the ground. She had to look ahead to what was going on around her. Yes, living in the present was definitely much better than living in the past. 

Mrs.  Dulcenza was a clear example of that . Linda remembered that she too  had  suffered a lot, and was now trying a new life. The girl mentally made a promise to stop by the shelter after work, maybe take something she needed: clothes or food. Yes, she was sure that Fraser wouldn't mind that.

** * * * **

“ Hello, Linda .” Mrs.  Dulcenza's face lit up in a smile, stretching her injured lip so much that she almost opened the wound again . “ What are you doing here? ”

Linda looked around the large hall of community beds, full of women of different ages and races, so me with children, before asking, “ I thought you might need something. A re you a ll right? ”

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.  “Thank you so much. You sa ved my life. ”

Linda blushed and sat on the bed, turning over her purse and taking out  a few small objects.

“Oh, I thought your kids had come here too, so I brought these toy cars. Do they like cars? I always loved these toys. When I was a child, I always dreamed about having these toy strollers or dollhouses. Where are your kids, anyway?”

“They are still with that lady I told you about. At least until I know what I'm going to do with my life. They are fine, thanks to the Lord Jesus.”

Linda sighed and asked, “ So, what do you think about here? ”

“ It's not that bad, actually. And here are a lot of people in the same situation. I could never imagine that. ”

“ At least you won't be alone, there are a lot of people here. And I also  talked to a social worker at the entrance. She says she has  many volunteers to deliver food and stuff. I also brought some food, and she took it to the communal kitchen. Did you hear about ...  er , your husband? ”

“ They said he was arrested. But I'm sure some of those drunk people he's hanging out on will bail him out . Then I know that he will look for me. ”

“ If he does that ,  you won't be alone.  You are protected here. ”

“ The social worker said that she would help me until I find a job, so that I can take care of my children and find a place to live. ”

Linda smiled, “ This is so good. Look, I'm going to see if the hospital needs new employees. Sometimes we have temporary  openings , and some of them become permanent  openings . I'll let you know if anything comes up, okay? ”

"You are such a good person." Mrs.  Dulcenza threw herself into Linda's arms before the girl could avoid it.  “ I thank God for putting you in my way! ”

Feeling sorry for her , Linda let her cry fo r a few minutes, and then asked, “Do you feel better now?”

“ Yes, thank you. ”

“Well, now that you are ready, I will let you rest a little more. I'll try to come by sometime later.” Linda stood up, and the world seemed to float a little. She staggered. “Oops, I got dizzy. I think skipping dinner was not a good idea, after all.”

Mrs.  Dulcenza asked, “ Don't you want to get some rest? I call your husband to pick you up. ”

Increas ingly dizzy, Linda tried to say, “ No, Ben is not  my ... ” She could not finish the sentence, dizziness turning to nausea. “Oh, dear…”

“Linda ? Linda, are you okay ? ”

Then Linda felt darkness cover her as if it were a kind of gray blanket as she fell to the floor slowly.


	44. Chapter 44

## Chapter 44

“ Well, Benny, are you going to tell me or not? ”

Fraser stared at his partner from the stakeout that night. “ What do you mean, Ray?  Te l l you what? ”

“ Whatever is bothering you. Are you okay?  Is  Linda okay? You and Linda, are  things all right ? ”

The Canadian looked at his  lap in the dark car and replied, “ Yes, Ray, we're fine. Thanks for asking. ”

“ Is it the Dragon  Lady ? Is she picking on you? ”

“ Actually, things at the Consulate are going well. ”

Ray was on the verge of los ing patience he never had, “ So what is it, Benny? Get it out! ”

Fraser still hadn't looked at Ray.

“ I ... I've been thinking, Ray. ”

The I talian looked up at the ceiling.

“And then all our problems started...”

“ Linda doesn't know, Ray. I never told  Linda about ...  _ her _ . ”

“ Her ?  Her who ? ” Big green Italian eyes suddenly opened wide when they realized the matter. “ Oh no. You don't mean ...  _ her _ , do you? ”

Fraser nodded silently, and tried very hard to explain, while Ray moved, uncomfortable and restless. “It wouldn't be fair not to tell Linda. Besides, Ray, she sees the scar on my back. I know she doesn't ask anything not to upset me, but she has a right to know. I want to start the procedures for the wedding, and I think that needs to be ... clarified.”

Ray sighed, looking  away .

“ I think you're right, Benny. But you need to take it easy. Victoria is not something you  just  mention over coffee, after dinner. ”

“ I know, Ray. You know it's not like me to procrastinate things like that. I don't know why I'm putting it off like that. I should have  done that some time ago, I know .... ”

The  beep of Ray's cell phone prevented him from answering, so he  took the device out of his suit.

“ Vecchio .” He listened for a second, then turned to Fraser, and the Canadian noticed that he was at least twice as pale, wide green eyes . “ We are alr eady on our way. Thanks, Elaine.” He  revved up Riv. “ Linda checked into the hospital emergency room about two hours ago. It's  all that they know. ”

Fraser felt his heart racing faster than the Buick's engine, and the car whizzed down the street, tires screeching.

** * * * **

Linda listened carefully to the doctor's orders, still not quite sure how she should feel.  There was nothing wrong with her and she knew it.

"In short," continued the doctor, "that may have been just a drop in  blood  pressure. There is no need to keep you here any longer, miss. But I would recommend new tests. For today, however, I just want you to have good rest and adequate food. ”

“ Yes, doctor. Thank you .” She looked at the door and a beloved Canadian face was standing by the door looking at her full of concern as the doctor left the room. She smiled . “ Ben. ”

Before she even finished saying his name, he was at her  side, his hand looking for hers.

“Linda. Are you all right? What happened?”

She seemed calm when she answered, and he felt her con cern to reassure him,  “ I'm fine. I just passed out, that's all. Fortunately, I was at the shelter with Mrs.  Dulcenza , and medical help arrived very quickly. ”

Fraser kissed her fingers and his  blue eyes stared at her in pain.

“ I'm so sorry. ”

She smiled even more sweetly and raised her hand until th e palm touched his cheek gently.

“ Ben, it wasn't your fault. ”

“ I should  have been with you. ”

“ You couldn't guess, Ben. Besides, everything is fine and I  have  already  been discharged . Do not worry. I'm going home. ”

“ Ray came with me. He  will take us home. ”

“ What about  the stakeout ? ”

“ It was kind of  slow anyway, so there was no  harm done.” He kissed her forehead.  “ Look, I'll wait outside. ”

Linda changed her clothes and they went home. Linda felt that Fraser seemed very protective to her. It could have been from the fainting spell earlier, but she had a strong feeling that Fraser was hiding something from her. Still, she would never ask what troubled him. He would certainly say it whenever he thought it was the best time. She would not pressure him.

The next morning, Fraser took her to the hospital  as usual  and made sure she talked about last night's fainting with Mrs.  Sorelli . Linda scheduled the tests that Dr.  Lennyard had already ordered and knew it would be a few days before the results said anything.

Fraser came to pick her up at the end of the day and was very inclined to ask Linda not to go to school that night. But he knew how much she liked the classes and the classmates, so probably attending classes would be good. He and Diefenbaker went to the bar across the street, Chandler's, waited patiently until the end of classes and after saying goodbye to Martha, the three walked home that night.

After dinner, Fraser did the dishes and looked  at Linda  for a long time as she  flipped through the books, leaning over the living roo m table. He asked, “ Are you going to study  tonight ? ”

“ I need to review some things. In a few weeks we will have final exams, and I need to prepare. ”

“ I had ex pected you to go to bed earlier.” He kissed her shoulder . “ We would have more time ... ”

The touch was so unexpected and sensual that Linda couldn't help shivering slightly. He continued to touch her, over and over, and she forgot the books and turned to embrace him, her heart racing, warm blood raising the temperature of secret places on  her body.

“ Ben ... ”

Fraser kissed her fiercely, pulling her closer to him, keeping his lips firmly on hers, using the sheer weight of  his male body to make her sit on the table, hands spreading books and notebooks away, some of them falling on floor. The noise disturbed Diefenbaker, who looked up, then whined softly and put his  muzzle between his paws again, wondering if those two would  _ ever _ come out of heat.

Linda was almost lying on her back on the table , one elbow holding her upright so that she wouldn't pull her lips off Fraser's. He used greedy hands to diligently remove all of their clothes, while she tried to do the same, using her hands to open  his jeans and sensually grab the volume in  his underwear, a volume that seemed to grow by the minute. They were both panting, already sweating a little, there were moans, and Fraser gently held her breasts with both hands, to bring them to  his already swollen lips, leaning more and more on her. Linda tilted her head back, dizzy with desire.

Fraser's tongue felt like liquid fire in her belly, and her elbow failed, making her lie down fully in the dining room table . His hands were now on her thighs, and he bent even more to kiss the soft skin in front of her, spreading her legs, smelling her arousal.  She opened up to him like a flower, he used his experienced tongue to stimulate the delicate bud of his pleasure, eliciting an instant reaction in Linda.

Then he sat on the chair, pulling her by the legs until they were right in front of him, and then he threw both over his shoulders, her feet dangling from his back, and his head precisely where the two legs joined to the trunk, almost inside the core of  her being. Linda felt helpless, totally at his mercy, which excited her immensely. When his mouth touched her at the point of greatest impact on her body, she hissed, then lifted her hips, then her hands gripped his head. His  tongue was merciless. Fraser licked, sucked, sipped her juices and nibbled on her, and she was totally beside herself.

Overexcited, Linda felt the sensual touch leave her, and she also felt her body being dragged until her legs were completely off the table, feet touching the floor. When she thought of breathing a bit, renewing the oxygen, strong arms turned her face down on the table, her buttocks spread out and her moist core taken by an impossibly stiff Fraser. She moaned so loudly that she could have sworn it was a scream, and being filled up in that rude and urgent way usually meant that Fraser was extremely excited, and she knew the end would not be long. That thought took her beyond the limit, and she could feel the fire spreading through her veins, not once, but twice, as Fraser moved his pulsating cock inside her. She was panting, and felt that he was also at the edge. They would not last long, she thought.

Linda was wrong.

Without warning, Fraser broke away from her and once again she had her body turned, now on her back, and tried not to scream at his impetuosity. This was impossible when  she  was pulled and  thrown across over his shoulder, carried like a  huge caribou for a few seconds until  she was unceremoniously deposited on the bed. Her heart was still racing, she was sweating a bit, and excitement was bubbling up inside her  as she looked at Benny's face. He was on all fours, on top of her, his blue eyes half closed and sparkling with pure desire as he faced her, naked, breathless, at his mercy. He exuded animal passion from every pore, and Linda  shivered as she realized it.

It took no more than three seconds, and he was already joined to her again, the world swirling around them. Linda was already ready for Ben,  for  her Ben and she would always be ready for him, and he felt lost inside her, moving frantically, without control, without reins, increasing the pleasure for both of them. Linda didn't realize sh e was starting to call his name.

“ Oh, Ben! ... Benny! ”

Together they  rode their own desire in waves, and Linda noticed that someone was shouting Ben's name while she had a wild and furious orgasm, even more intense than the previous ones, excited by feeling Benny's essence gushing into her, like a pinnacle for the perfect union between them, body, mind and soul. When Fraser collapsed beside her, she concluded that the screams had been hers.

It changed everything.

_ Oh no. _

Fraser woke up, and felt Linda's warm body next to his, her face turned away from him. He kissed the bare shoulder in front of him, and seemed to have heard a sob.

“Linda?”

She did not turn around, keeping her face away from him  and replied, in a tearful voice, “ Yes, Ben? ”

She was crying. His heart broke into a thousand pieces, shattering, because seeing Linda crying was something that always hurt him so much. Tr ying to hide the pain, he asked, “ Linda, honey, what  is wrong ? ”

“ I'm  so  sorry, Ben .” He could feel  her effort  to contain the tears, her whole body shivering. “So sorry . Please try to forgive me. ”

“Forgive you?”

“ For wha t I did. I w on't do it  anymore; I  will  never do it again. Please don't ... don't punish me. Don't hit me, Benny, please don't hurt me. ”

He  was on full red alert, and said, “ Linda, please look at me. I will  _ never _ hurt you. Never,  do you  understand? Why would you think that? ”

Linda turned slowly towards him , tears streaming down her face, eyes shining from crying, barely able to breathe. The sight broke Benny's heart for the second time.

“ I did a very  naughty thing.”  She looked down, unable to look at him, terrified , still shaking her whole body in terror. “ Not even you can forgive me. ”

He hugged her  tenderly  and asked, t rying to keep his voice neutral, “ What did you do, Linda? ”

She took a long time to answer, the tear s rolling until she got courage.

“I ... I made a noise.” she whimpered. “Sorry, I couldn't help myself, Benny. Please try to forgive me. I screamed, but I didn’t mean to, Ben, I did not mean to scream, I am so sorry, so sorry!”

For a few seconds, Fraser hugged her,  still unable to understand  what terrified her so much. She was crying softly and shivering intensely. When the answer came, it hit him like a ton of  bricks .

In the most passionate moments, Linda had called out his name. He remembered hearing it with pride for being able to make her lose control like that, to turn her on so much. But that must have somehow triggered memories of all the abuse he suffered. Her attackers probably ordered her to be very quiet all the time, so that they wouldn't get caught. If she screamed, even in pleasure, she would probably be punished physically. In Linda's mind,  sex was something to be done in silence, or else it meant severe punishment. It was a message from her unconscious, and it was going to take a while to change that.

She cried for a while, and he wrapped her in his arms, trying to comfort her, always assuring her that everything was fine, and that she had done nothing wrong. Slowly, she got tired of crying and trying to breathe, finally sobbing less, until finally falling asleep, exhausted. That night, she  tossed a lot more than usual, Fraser noticed. In time, he thought, she would overcome this trauma. One of many traumas.

That was why he once again postponed the decision to tell her about Victoria. The woman had affected Fraser deeply, and it was precisely because of Linda that he now knew that his feelings towards Victoria didn't even come close to love. With Linda, he felt a sense of peace, of fulfillment, of belonging. With Victoria, he felt agitation, anguish and darkness. Hugging Linda closer to him, Fraser wondered if he had even known what love was until the girl appeared in his life. Of course, he had known what it was like to be attracted to someone else before, mostly driven by fear of loneliness. Linda was quite different. She was like rain in the desert, healing him when he felt dry and cracked. Soothing him, healing him, comforting him and nourishing him. How he needed her.

Realizing that he needed Linda in his life, Fraser looked at the sleeping figure in his arms, studying the features of his face, now immersed in serenity and tranquility. Yes, he knew he still had to tell her about Victoria, and maybe she would be hurt. But that could wait for a better time, he thought, without taking his eyes off her. More than that, he adored her in silence for longer than he realized. If she was awake, he thought, he would have made love to her again.

** * * * **

The next morning, when she kissed Fraser goodbye, Linda showed no sign of the tension she had felt that night. Ray came to pick them up early, but the girl had classes in the morning and decided to  stay home a bit before going to school . After class, she chose to go home for lunch before going to the hospital.  And there was a surprise at  her door.

“ Mrs.  Vecchio ? ”

The Italian  matriarch r ose from the stairs where she was sitting t o hug Linda.

“ Hello,  _ bambina _ . ”

“Is everything all right, Mrs. Vecchio? Are you okay? Did something happen to the children, or to Frannie?”

“We are all well”, she said. “ I just came to visit. I miss you and Benton. ”

“ Please come in. I was going to have lunch. ”

Linda opened the door and let Ray's mother in, apologizing, “ We haven't had many visitors, we still don't have a  couch and stuff. ”

“Don’t bother,” the Italian lady smiled . “ At the beginning of my marriage, I also faced difficulties. We were not rich, and we are not yet. There is no shame in that. ”

“ Can I offer you anything? Coffee, a cup of tea?  O h, you're going to stay for lunch, aren't you, Mrs.  Vecchio ? ”

“ Just call me Ma. ”

“ Okay ... Ma. Why don't you sit here at the table? ”

“ Need help with lunch? ”

“ Of course not. Today you are my guest, and you don't need to do anything. Except, perhaps, making me company . ”

Ray's mother obeyed, looking discre etly at the house before asking, “ Does Benton have lunch at home too? ”

Linda was already in the  kitchen, fiddling with the pots, “ No, we usually don't even have lunch here. It was really lucky that we met. I would hate to think that I would leave you waiting for hours without anyone showing up. ”

“ I took a risk .” She smiled . “ You don't have to feel guilty. ”

“ Frannie says we should have a phone. She's probably right, but Ben and I were raised without a phone, and we're not really used to  having one . ”

The older woman looked arou nd with a clinical eye and said, “ You're happy." Linda stared at her,  surprised that she'd noticed it in such a short time. The Italian shrugged , “One  can see that. I feel like I'm your  _ mamma _ , Linda, and I know my children. I know you're happy. ”

Linda smiled, flushed, “ Yes, Ma. I'm very happy. ”

“ Good , very good. I had to see this with my own eyes. I asked  Raymondo if you were happy, both you and Benton, but you know how men are. In addition, I wanted to come  see this  in person. ”

“ We wanted to invite you soon .” She blushed . “ When we bought the  couch . ”

Mamm a  Vecchio smiled.

“ No need to be embarrassed. The place is  a  good one .  Nice space. The kitchen is very good, and this is very important in a home,  _ bambina _ , always remember that. ”

“It is a nice kitchen, isn’t it? Big, and  very clear, very airy, too. Many windows. ”

The older lady looked around.

“Maybe some curtains could brighten the room even more. I think I can show you one of the old curtains that I retired last spring. They are in excellent condition. Show up at the house one day, and I'll show you.”

Linda smiled an d looked around, “ Thanks. I never thought of that, curtains. ”

Lunch with Mrs.  Vecchio was really pleasant and to Linda's relief , there was no more reference to "living in sin" this time. Linda knew that the Italian had  the best intentions, but before she knew it, she was being advised to pressure Fraser to arrange a wedding. The last thing Linda wanted was to pressure Fraser.

In the afternoon, Linda started taking the tests that Dr.  Lennyard had prescribed, and then she was discharged earlier. It gave  her plenty of time to prepare a good meal when Benton arrived. He also arrived early.

The stew was boiling and Linda was busy with another pot, full of potatoes, and she didn't notice Fraser approaching.  Dief entered the kitchen, and she turned to see the Canadian standing at the kitchen door.

“Hello, Ben,” she smiled. “You are early.”

His voice was s trange and he didn't smile back. 

“You are busy . Is it going to take long?”

“N ot really, just - ”

“Good.” He never let her finish. “ I will be waiting for you in the other room. Please come as soon as you can. ”

“ Ben? What happened? ”

Fraser had already left the kitchen, and Linda heard the door to the vacant room closing. Her heart sank heavily. He was certainly upset.

Linda noticed his  appearance was changed. He was pale, a little out of breath, and was probably shaking. Maybe he was sick. Linda was  alarmed .

_ My goodness _ .

Having completely lost her appetite, Linda quickly finished the potatoes and made sure the stew was ready, then put out the fire. Then she immediately went to the other room, hesitant, not quite sure what she was going to find there. She knocked on  the door and opened it, calling, “ Ben? ”

It was quite dark. The lights were off and the windows were closed, so there was no t a crack of light. Her eyes were not used to the darkness, and everything looked pitch black. In addition, her heart seemed to weigh more and more until his voic e suddenly appeared in the dark.

“ Don't turn on the light. ”

Instinctively, Linda went towards Ben's almost unrecognizable voice, asking, “Benny, what  – “

Before she could finish the sentence, she felt a strong hand take her and there was a brief confusion. When Linda realized, she had been sandwiched facing the wall, and she barely had time to have the urge to put her hands on his face before  it was smashed. Ben's naked body was almost covering hers, her cheeks feeling the cold concrete and his voice, even more hoarse than before , ordered directly into her ear, “Don’t be afraid.”

Linda's heart raced. Using nothing more than  his sheer weight, Ben had left her completely  paralyzed , nailed to the wall. Linda could hear his breathing hard on the back of  her neck, the noisy inhalations against h er hair, the unrecognizable voice.

“Linda… I need ... to have you ... To have you  _ now _ ... please ... ”

As he spoke, his hands were already  wrenching her shirt, trying to free her from the offensive clothing. Contrary to the way he had always touched Linda,  now Fraser's movements were  hard ,  curt and rude. As she was undressed, Linda realized that she was in the hands of a man who could not afford to court her properly. He demanded to be satisfied. Immediately. Driven to the limits of desire, he was almost  insulted at not having her skin immediately available for him to touch,  her naked body  to  ravish . As he eased her out of h er clothes, he instantly covered each exposed part of skin with his tongue, or hands, legs or even his hips.

When Linda became aware of Fraser's level of  need , she received a dose of desire poured out like a punch in her deepest recesses. Held by the strong, powerful male body, she could do little more than squirm and tremble, hands up on the wall, her lower back feeling the solid nudge of Fraser's proud masculinity. She would like to run her hands  all  over it, but there was  no way Fraser could even hear her plea . Well, in order for him to hear her in the first place, she had to have a voice or at least some coherent thought.  That was not the case.

The Canadian  shivered all over her, his body pressing so hard as if they  both  could merge into one single body . The hot, experienced tongue was on her shoulders, white teeth nibbling on her ears, hands on her waist, and h is mo st masculine part blindly tried to find the entrance to the most intimate union between the ir  bodies. Linda tried to move her hips back and up, trying to help him, as excited as he was, with the intention of  spreading her legs without losing her balance. If Fraser hadn’t propped  her up against the wall,  she probably would have  oozed like thin liquid by now. Within minutes, Linda had risen to a level of desire that matched Fraser's.

Or not.

Usually, by now, Fraser would be moaning, sometimes whispering Linda's name as if it were a mantra. Now, however, he growled, teeth clenched, breathing so  raggedly that Linda feared some sort of attack. His hips moved frantically against her, brushing his swollen cock against her buttocks , his hands had managed to reach her chest and were now crushing her breasts. She squirmed, trying to receive him inside.

When Fraser's physical desire approached the already damp intimate shelter in the center of Linda, she felt her legs liquefy. But when Fraser finally managed to get inside her, making her feel every inch of his hyper-swollen organ, she thought she could howl louder than  Dief . Then he withdrew, not entirely, only to push again, with more force, increasing the pleasure of both. And he repeated the operation again, and again, faster,  with more and more force, now grunting, her hips a ccelerating and hers matching the speed and intensity.

At the pace they had established, neither of them would  last long. Linda felt that all her nerves were terminated in pure incandescent metal, one capable of burning her from the inside out. Fraser, now reduced to little more than a time bomb, could feel the great explosion  approaching , his voice rising more than Linda had ever heard.

Fraser howled at the same time that Linda could feel the hot stream of Fraser's milk entering her, the sensation of complete filling throwing her to the other side and making her see bright spots of light through her closed eyes. The scorching hot liquid that had once been her blood reached the melting point and for a moment, her body  shook and she saw nothing else while her legs failed.

Linda didn't know how long she had been senseless, but she  regained some consciousness when her body temperature started to drop. She was in Fraser's warm arms, and they were both lying on top of the chest that had belonged to Bob Fraser. It was the only furniture in the room.

Benny felt her b ody move and hugged her tightly, “ Linda, please forgive me. ”

She kissed his arm, unsure of what she had heard.

“ Forgive you? ”

“ I ... I couldn't help myself. I'm so ashamed. Do not panic. ”

“ Don't be ashamed, Ben. ”

“I’ve never been so out of control before. I am sure scared you. And ... I used you. I couldn't even concentrate while I was at the Consulate. I wanted you so  _ badly _ . All afternoon, I thought of nothing but you. I couldn't even work properly. I couldn’t get you out of my head. The inspector was so disgusted that she dismissed me earlier. So I came home and then I saw you ... I don't know what came over me, I ... I ... I'm so,  _ so  _ sorry.”

Linda turned to him and  caressed his face, looking for  his blue eyes to be sure, murmuring, “ Shhh , Benny, it's okay. Please don't feel bad. ”

“ You could have been scared. I ... almost got ... violent. ”

He avoided looking into the green eyes that looked at him with love and confidence. Linda said, never taking her green eyes off his blue ones, “Ben, I know you will never hurt me. You said it yourself. I wasn't afraid” ( _ A little while lie _ , thought Linda). “It’s okay to be passionate. I love you and I trust you with my life.”

Fraser  swooped her up for a long, passionate kiss, one that melted doubts and made him love this girl who trusted him even more, despite everything that had happened to her.

He felt her shudder and asked, “ Are you cold? ”

“A bit”, she admitted. “ But I could stay like this forever with you . I don't want to leave here. ”

“ Don't you want to get off my dad's chest? ”

“ Actually, I was talking about getting out of your arms. ”

Ben smiled, gave her a peck in the lips and reminded, “ But dinner will get cold. And now I'm getting hungry. Come on, I'll help you. ”

Linda yelped out when Fraser lifted her in his arms and then laughed the way he loved most as she was carried to the closet. They dressed and Diefenbaker wagged his tail happily, knowing that this time dinner was finally on the way.


	45. Chapter 45

## Chapter 45

“ Are you sure? ”  Martha's voic e showed all the girl's concern. “ I know he is never late. I can wait with you. ”

Linda sighed. The street became more empty and darker as the students left the school after the last class o f the night. She tried to smile and reassure Martha , “ Your sister will  be worried if you are late, Martha. I know Ben is going to show up any minute. I would go alone, but it could  be that he shows up and I am already gone , and that would make him very worried. ”

“ Don't you want to call him? ”

“ We don't have a phone, you know that . I'll be fine. ”

“In the middle of the street, at this temperature and at this hour in Chicago? No way. You are coming with me. We will go to Laurie's office and she will take you home.”

Linda craned her neck and saw a well-known green  Riv come towards her from the co rner. She pointed out, relieved, “ I said there was no need.  See that ? He even brought Ray. ”

The two got out of t he car, and Ray was soon saying, “ Linda, I'm sorry I kept you waiting. It was all my fault. I was late. ”

“ Okay, Ray. Really. I know you must have had a good reason. ”

Martha sai d, trying not to look irritated, “ I was going to take  her with me. We almost missed each other. ”

"Linda, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," Ray insisted.

“ No need, everything is fine. ”

Fraser brought his head down, swirling his hat in his hands, but Linda could catch a gleam in h is eyes. She went into his arms, “ Really, Ben, everything is fine. ”

Ray continued, “ Come on, Martha. We  can  give you a ride to your sister's office. ”

“ No, it's not necessary, detective. ”

“ You can call me Ray. ”

“ Ray, it's okay. I can walk. ”

“ I insist. ”

Linda snickered when she saw Ray trying to  impress Martha and pushed Benny into R iv. 

“ Then we better get going. There’s room for everybody, right?”  In the back seat, a well-known wolf muzzle greeted  her. “H i,  Dief . How's my favorite wolf doing? ”

“ Woof! ”

The group settled down and the  shot  trip to Laurie ’s office , Martha's sister, went relatively smoothly, while Linda looked with interest at the interaction between Ray and Martha. She was so distracted by the two of them that she didn't even notice the look in Ben's eyes, more and more  mischievous .

And the Canadian's attitude just before Martha jumped off surprised Linda.

"Martha, if you don't have plans for Saturday, Linda and I would love for you to c ome and have dinner with us." He turned to her. “ Wouldn't we love it? ”

It was in two days! But Linda had good reflexes  and answered without hesitation, “ Of course, Ben. We'd love it, Martha. ”

It also seemed to catch Martha off guard. “ Well,  yeah, why not? I  have no plans. ”

“ Great. Is eight good? ”

“ Sure. Thanks. ”

Ray stepped forward, “ Do you need a ride? I can  pick you up.”

It seemed that Martha had run out of e xcuses that night. She answered, “That would be great, thank you, Ray.”

Ray looked radiant and they agreed on the details. Then, when he left Benny and Linda in front of the apartment, he  was all excited. The girl asked, “ Are you sure you don't want to come in, Ray? I can make coffee. ”

“ No thanks, Linda. I need to get up early, if I want to get ready for dinner with Martha on Saturday. Besides, Ma is expecting you two tomorrow night, don't forget. Just tell me later how it went, Benny. ”

“ Okay, Ray, good night. Come on, Diefenbaker, we're coming in. ”

The wolf ran outsid e and Linda asked, as the  Riv disappeared down the street.

“ What was Ray talking about, Ben? ”

Fraser hurried to op en the door for her and replied, “ We were late today because I wanted to surprise you. ”

Linda entered the apartment puzzled and when Fraser turned on the lights, she felt a little chill in her belly as she looked into the living room. In the center of the  room was a used  couch ,  but  in perfect condition. It was not too big, nor too small, enough to accommodate three people comfortably.

It was the last thing Linda expected on earth.

“ Oh, Ben ...! ” She wrapped her arms around his neck . “ A  couch ! ... You bought us a  couch ! ”

He hugged her tight and said, “Ray helped me bring it home before you came from school. That's why we're late.”

Linda smiled and caressed his face, eyes full of love, and saw the intensity of the emotion inside the two little blue eyes that she lo ved so much. Then she whispered, “ I love you, Ben. Thanks. ”

“ So you're not upset? ”

“ Why would I be upset? ”

“ Because I bought it without  asking you about it. I know I promised you that we would do everything together, but if I did, well, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? ”

“ Of course I'm not upset, my dear. It was very kind of you. I love you. ”

She kissed him and felt that he gave in to the kiss. Suddenly Ben took her by the hand to the new furniture in the house, showing, “You can also turn it a bed, if necessary. So I thought that later on we might want to buy a new one, and this one here could go in the other room, which would then become a guest room.”

Linda couldn't help but smile, “ And judging by your willingness to invite Martha tonight, it looks like we're going to start having a lot of guests, starting Saturday. ”

Fraser's smile fell and he started to stammer, “ Well, I ...  Are you upset I invited  them both to dinner? I ... Sorry, I  just ... ”

“ Of course that's not it, Ben. I loved it, and I was planning to do it sometime. Maybe Ray and Martha can get it  on , if ... we give them a little push. ”

He looked at her, his eyes smiling in a peculiar way, “ I didn't know I had a knack for matchmaking ”. So  he grabbed her around the waist. “ It's surprising. ”

Linda smiled as she felt his tongue tickle h er neck and could barely answer, “ Me neither.  Er , Benny ... Oh, Benny ... ”

He stopped and tried to see what was reflected in the green eyes, the sapphire blue eyes smiling, “ So ... what do you think  about ‘breaking into’ the new  couch ? ”

Linda used her thumb to caress hi s jaw and also smiled to answer, “ Actually, Ben, I wish we didn't do that. ”

Fraser was unable to  hide his disappointment.

“ Oh.  Okay.  Well, I ... Okay, I just ... ”

It was Linda's turn to show her  mischievous smile.

“I meant not _now_. You know, we could ... create some expectation to ‘break in’ the sofa. It would be more exciting. What do you think?”

Her words brought a smile back to those beautiful  Canadian lips, and he whispered,  “ That  might actually be an even better idea, my love.”

Linda threw her head back and laughed in a way that excited Ben too much, so he pressed her even more against his already burning body. They kissed desperately, exploring each other, already unbuttoning belts and shirts before stumbling into the bedroom.  Dief yelped, already knowing that dinner would be late. Again.

** * * * **

Dining  at the  Vecchios was always an experience for Linda. There was noise, there was human warmth, closeness and always new things to learn. The girl was an avid student, and she generally behaved impeccably, patiently answering children's questions, talking to Francesca, and being considerate of Ray's mother and  his  sister Maria. Even the distant Tony, Maria's husband, was getting used to Linda's quiet way, just as they had all got used to Benny's way.

That night, however, Linda could not focus her attention on  her kind hosts. It looked like she only had eyes for Ben. In her eyes, that night he was particularly magnificent,  even in jeans, a cream shirt and leather jacket. She was sitting across from him at the dinner table, and at least twice she found herself lost in thought, staring at him with a ghost of a smile, while Ray was speaking. With effort and luck, she had managed to  answer her friend  coherently . But her heart was flying high, pounding. She was in love with Ben, a feeling that seemed to grow by the day, and worse: apparently she had chosen that precise moment to store all her desire for him.

“ _ Mia  _ _ bambina, _ ” Mamma  Vecchio definitely got her attention, “do you want more pasta?”

Before Linda could even reply, her plate was full again. The girl smiled anyway, and Mrs.  Vecchio seemed to be happy to see her food  so appreciated . Perhaps, thought Linda, it will help keep my mind off other things, things that are very inappropriate at the moment.

Her eyes, however, seemed to be glued to Fraser. Her blood was cascading down her body, and the flow seemed to go straight to her ears, making such a noise that she couldn't concentrate.

Fraser noticed that Linda was looking at him, and at first he guessed she wanted to tell him something. Then he realized that he was being flirted with. The thought that Linda was flirting with him created a wave of pure desire that left him with his head a little light and airy. The feeling was not going away, and Benton tried to be discreet when he noticed the way her woolen pullover shaped her body, or how she moved gracefully when she offered to help clear the table after dinner.

As the  Mountie followed h er movements, the blue eyes met Ray's green eyes. The Italian smiled, knowing perfectly well that his friend was in love.  Fraser blushed when he noticed his friend staring, and risked another glance at Linda, who had just come from the kitchen to the dining room. She was looking at him again, and her green eyes sparkled. Fraser's desire grew stronger by the minute and was almost making him dizzy. It was the same thing that had happened at the Consulate, and the result had been not only his total inability to function for work, but also an incredible sex session that had ended up on his father's chest. Fraser had to suppress the burning memory, or he would be severely ashamed at his best friend's house, in front of the whole family.

Linda went back to the kitchen and Fraser took a break from what  Frannie was saying to go after her. He lowered his voice and said, no t sure how to say what he meant, “Linda…”

She turned to look at him, and the intensity of what she saw in the perfect blue eyes almost made her attack his hot lips right there. But there was a crowd of  Vecchios close by, and that wouldn't be ...

“ Linda, are you okay? ”

Ray's voice seemed to be the call to reality that broke the spell between the two. Unfortunately, the couple was still under the effects of the spell.

"Yes," said Linda.

"No," said Fraser at the same time.

There was an awkward silence. Immediately, the two spoke at the same time.

“I wanted to say no.”

“ Actually,  it is just fine . ”

Ray l ooked at the ceiling, murmuring, “ It was  such  a simple question ... Look, when you decide, let me know, OK? ”

Linda hurried to explain, “ No, Ray, actually what I mean is that I'm a  bit tired, but I don't want to leave so soon. Your mother  was so nice to me, and it  c ould  make her  upset. ”

Another voice was heard in the kitche n.

“ No t at all,  _ bambina _ .” The three turned to the door, where Mamma  Vecchio shook her head . “ You are a  very  good girl, and you work hard, besides studying , too. It is natural that from time to time you get tired. Just because you want to rest is no reason to hurt me. ”

“ Mrs.  Vecchio , I was ... ”

The old Italian woman raised her hand, interrupting it, and Linda remembered, “I mean,  _ Ma _ ... This really isn't necessary, I really enjoyed dinner and  – “

She interrupted Linda again, “Nonsense, _cara_ _mia_. We all saw that you were a little distracted today. And you passed out the other day. I knew.”

_ How could she  _ _ know? _ Linda blushed and scolded, “ Ray! You told her? You are not supposed to get your mother worried!”

He shrugged. “She is my mother and she asked me, Linda. What should I do? Lie to my own mother?”

“Of course not.” Fraser tried, as usual, to make things right . “ You did well, Ray. ”

"And now," decided Mrs.  Vecchio , "you are going to do another good deed,  Raymondo , and take them home."

Fraser said, “ No, thanks, but it won't be necessary. We can walk. ”

“Benton, I will not hear any of that”. The Italian matriarch had always been a determinate woman, and he should have known there was no way to change her mind. “Linda is tired; she needs to rest. Walking will be very tiring. Do not argue with me. Raymondo, you will take them.”

“ Sure,  Ma . Come on, guys. Ah, I'm going to call  Dief . ”

Linda hugged her, “ Thank you, Ma.  You are the best mom in the world. ”

“ I like to take care of my children, even if they don't take care of themselves. Benton, make sure she goes to bed as soon as she gets home. ”

For a split second, he fought a malicious smile.

“ Don't worry about it, Mrs. ...  Er , Ma. ”

“ Good night,  _ bambini  _ _ miei _ . ”


	46. Chapter 46

## Chapter 46

On the way to Fraser and Linda's apartment, Ray could feel something strange at  Riv , but he couldn't say exactly what was going on. The couple was very quiet, and Linda even tried to tell Ray that she wasn't really sick, and he said it was no use trying to argue with his mother. Fraser was silent in the backseat, breathing carefully, stroking Diefenbaker. The wolf knew very well that those two were about to mate again, but apparently this time even the humans could smell it.

The goodbyes were quick, and Ray only had time to remember them about dinner with Martha the next day. Linda and Fraser nodded politely, smiling, without hearing even a word of what Ray was saying. They could hardly wait for Ray to leave, but kept waving goodbye, keeping the smile frozen on their faces, until the classic car disappeared around the corner, already heading up the stairs to the apartment, Fraser with the key in hand.

When  Riv was finally out of sight, Fraser turned t o Linda and asked enigmatically.

“Couch ? ”

“Couch.  _ Now _ . ”

They ran to the apartment and entered  it  at full speed. For a minute Diefenbaker imagined that they had forgotten the urge to mate (after all, it had already become such a common urge) and had switched to night hunting and tracking, as he and Fraser used to do. But when they both started removing each other's clothes as if they were on fire, the wolf knew what they really wanted. He only thanked the wolf gods that they had already dined in that other house where there was a large pack of young and loud humans with the best food in that strange place called the city.

They were unable to detach themselves from their lips or stop taking off their clothes.

“ I ... tried ... to control myself ... I couldn't ... ”

Her lips were under  Fraser's, the sound was  broken.

“ Me neither ... Ben ... Do you think they ... noticed? ”

H e had never sounded like this before, “ I hope not ... We can ... apologize ... later ... ”

“ Yes, I suppose so ... ”

“ Linda ...  Love ... I want you ...  n ow ... ”

“ I want you too ... Ben ... ”

He pulled her against his naked body and took a few steps back, until he collapsed  in a  sitting  position  on the couch, and she spread out on top of him, still kissing him eagerly. There was no time for foreplay, nothing would satisfy them but to get straight to the point.

Linda quickly got down on her knees on the couch above Benny, whose hands were on her breasts, and she brought them to his lips, while one hand supported her on the couch and the other went down, looking for the erection between her legs. As his mouth explored and nibbled on her soft breasts, she rubbed her moist center against his swollen sex, spreading her juices on the silky steel that pulsed between her fingers and he groaned loudly, gasping with his mouth almost attached to the hard nipple he had between the teeth.

Unable to prolong  those heavenly sensations , Linda sat on his lap,  taking him completely inside her, losing her breath when she  was filled  by him and feeling that her pubic hair found the delicate spheres, so deep they had united. After seconds savoring the sensation and letting  him feel  himself  inside her, she started to  move up and down, taking more and more of him with each movement. Fraser's hands moved to her shoulders and grabbed them in the shape of a hook. His manly body added his strength to her efforts, and Linda felt that she would be exploding soon, too soon for her desire, and she tried to delay until Benny could join her.

Their movements soon came to an uncontrolled frenzy. Linda's body began to  shudder . Then she could feel an upward stream of his seed filling her, which caused her own eruption. Everything seemed to be speeding up uncontrollably fast. This time, he was the one who took her in his arms, and they both lay down on the sofa, trying to catch their breath. The  couch was not open to serve as a bed, so they were huddled in the narrow furniture. It wasn't comfortable enough for them to fall asleep, so they just stayed in each other's arms,  caressing each other. Linda used her fingertips to draw circles on Benny's chest, and he touched her hair.

“ I love you more than ever, ” said Linda, looking at him with devotion . “ Ben, I love you so much ... ”

He turned his hand over to hold her against him and said, b efore kissing her lips tenderly, “ I love you too.  Forever , Linda . ”

Linda started kissing his chest, then continued to draw the circles in the places where she had kissed. It was as if she had started to decorate his body. Then she looked ashamed to say, “ Ben, we ... we seem to have been ... very  _ active _ , don't you think? ”

Fraser felt the heat coming from her face, and he knew she was blushing. Well, he was  blushing,  too.

“ You mean ...  ‘breaking’ the  couch and things like that? ” She nodded, and he shrugged. “ Yeah, I think we've really been ...  er ... active, like you said. Why do you ask? ”

“ Do you think that ... Well, is it normal? ”

Fraser tho ught for a moment, then replied, “ I have no means of comparison, Linda. I've never lived with anyone like that before, so I don't know what the standard is for these things. In addition, you should probably know better than me that what is considered normal for one person, for others may be different. ”

“ Yes, I know, Ben, but I was thinking. We do this three to four times a day, every day. Or more. ”

“Is there something wrong with that? Would you like to ... slow down?”

Linda almost laughed, “ Ben, I think even if we tried we wouldn't be able to go any slower. I mean, look at us now. We barely managed to keep our hands off each other during dinner at Ray's house. ”

“Linda, we actually could _not_ keep our hands off from each other during dinner with Ray's family. That’s why we came back early. But is it bothering you?”

“ No, not really, I think. I  guess ... ” She didn't finish her thought , then shrugged . “No, never mind.”

“ You can tell me anything, you know. ”

“ Yes, Ben, I know. But it can be just a very silly thing. ”

“ Silly how? ”

She shrugged.

“ Maybe it's just that I'm sensitive when it comes to normal things, you know. I may be overreacting. ”

“ Yes, you may be exaggerating. In my opinion, it is perfectly normal for two people romantically involved to engage in sexual activities. I don't think there should be cause for concern. ”

Linda sighed and retu rned to the kisses on his chest. “ I think ... you're right ... As always ...”  She con centrated on what she was doing. “ Hummm ...  This is so nice ... ”

Her kisses evolved from soft caresses to a dedicated art of licking, and Fraser felt his body responding to Linda's stimuli, much earlier than he had expected. He started to feel the blood traveling to his groin and surroundings, and he tried to put his hands on sensitive points, but Linda suddenly jumped off the couch.

“ What...? ”

Fraser was never  quite  able to finish the question. Before he knew it, Linda was on top of him, her head towards his feet, and she was on all fours on the couch, her tongue traveling from  hi s navel down. He groaned loudly, and suddenly saw Linda's back just inches from her face. When she swallowed him whole, without warning, his hips reacted as if they had a will of their own, jumping up to increase contact with her mouth. Fraser realized that he hadn't even fully recovered from the first round, but his manhood, always proud, was already trying to fill all the gaps in Linda's mouth, and all he could think was that there was no feeling like that, and that no one had ever made him feel what Linda made him feel.

As always, Linda was willing to take as much pleasure from Benny as she could. With her head between his legs, she could smell his erection, mixed with  his own semen and  her  lubricating juices, and it made her burn with desire. So she decided to go very slowly when she licked his cock, her fingers playing with the two globes right in the center of Fraser, lifting them just a little and looking for the most sensitive spot of any man, the tongue sticking almost under the skin delicate pink head. Suddenly, she blew gently on the  hyper excited organ, and he shuddered under her, feeling the sensitive skin, hot as if it were red hot, receiving a soft fresh air.  Linda pulled her hair aside and went back to diving into the center of  Ben again.

His reaction was not unexpected: Benny lifted his head and suddenly found himself between her legs, all of her femininity posted just inches from his face. He didn't count the time and stuck his mouth directly into her core, causing a loud moan from her filled throat, apparently like a squeak. Silky lips traveled up and down her dripping cave, his nostrils filling with her purest scent, and his hands turned to her waist so he could restrain her hips. His actions almost caused Linda to lose her concentration, but she managed to keep a steady pace in the way her mouth worked on his sex. In a few seconds, they managed to get in sync, serving each other with pleasure, moaning loudly, the new couch producing thunderous squeaks.

Linda knew that Benny was about to dissolve into pleasure, and she took pity on her beloved, even if she wasn't in better shape. She decided to grab the base of the  penis and dedicate herself to a violent suction of the upper part, making him squirm, and his tongue curled in each little fold of Linda's cave, therefore leading to ecstasy at the same time that she felt a familiar warm jet penetrate her throat. And once again she knew paradise.

Then, as Fraser collapsed on the  couch , practically  comatose , she staggered into the bedroom, her legs wobbly, grabbed a clean sheet and a bathroom sponge to clean both  of them and cover them before falling asleep, both happy and sated. And, of course, on the new  couch , now officially  “broken” .

** * * * **

Although the next day was a Saturday, Fraser had to go to the Consulate to catch up on some papers. Linda decided to go along, not only to exercise  Dief , but also because she felt more comfortable knowing that Inspector Thatcher would not be there. Thatcher scared Linda immensely. The girl was relieved to learn that she was not the only one to be intimidated by Fraser's superior.

They went early in the morning. Fraser entered his office and Linda admired  the portrait of the Queen Ben served in the main hall, with  Dief at his side. Then a noise startled her. The girl was surprised to see another  Mountie at the Consulate.

“ Constable Turnbull? Shouldn't you be  on your day  off? ”

“Oh, good morning, Miss Linda,” greeted the tall and clumsy policeman. “Well, although it is not a working day, the Inspector asked me to put in alphabetical order some files that I misplaced this week. In fact, I believe that my presence here today is also related to my responsibility pertaining the request of technical support of three consulate computers.”

Linda thought for a moment, “ So ... did she ground you? ”

Turnbull looked at the  girl, blinked and then admitted, “ Well ... essentially, yes. ”

“ I'm sorry to hear that, Constable ,” she said sincerely . “ The Inspector can be very intimidating, in my opinion. ”

"I suppose so," was Turnbull's polite reply.

“Please don’t tell her I said that.”

“Understood.”

Fraser overheard them talking in the background, and wondered what the two of them could have in common to maintain such an animated conversation. Anyway, it helped him finish his job much more quickly, and after tidying up his office properly, he went out to find Linda and Turnbull still talking. The gangly  Mountie sounded excited.

“ ...  and then , the worst is really done. Everything is much easier  from then on . ”

"I never would have thought of that," said Linda, surprised. "Thank you so much for your input, Constable. ”

Turnbull blushed and said, “ Glad to  be of service , miss .” He noticed Fraser  getting near. “ Ah, Constable Fraser, sir.  Are you done ? ”

“ Actually, yes, thank you .” He turned to Linda . “ Ready to go, Linda? ”

“ Yes, Ben .” She turned to Turnbull. “ Mr. Turnbull, may I come back another day to continue this conversation? There's a lot I would like to ask, but I don't want to disturb your work. ”

He smiled politely.

“It will be my pleasure, Miss Linda. I'm happy to  help . ”

“ Once again I really appreciate your  assistance , Constable ,” said Linda. “ Have a nice weekend. ”

“And to both of you,” wished Turnbull . “See you Monday! ”

Fraser hugged Linda and they left the Consulate, Diefenbaker trotting happily in front. As they walked through do wntown Chicago, Fraser observed, “ You and Turnbull seem to have found common interests. ”

“ I don't know much about  common interests , Ben, but he gave me great advice on clothes. He seems to be very good at handling these things. ”

“ Clothes? As in… fashion? ”

“ No, actually, on how to wash them. Those  red serge tunics are very difficult to  clean , let me tell you. But not impossible, I knew it wasn't! Turnbull knows all about it, and he gave me great tips. ”

Fraser was confused and looked at her,  “ I thought you took  the tunics to the  cleaners . ”

Linda did not hide her surprise.

“ Why would I do that if I can wash them at home? I like to do that. Didn't you notice? ”

“ Actually, I noticed a difference, but I thought you had found another laundry. ”

“ I also use fabric softener. Just a little, for the fabric to remain firm. But at least it smells good, doesn't it? And, of course, now  it should not prick as much as before. ”

Fraser thought and had to admit: the fabric  felt softer  over the shirt, and he hadn't realized why.

“ How did you manage to do that in the laundry room in the building? ”

L inda looked at him as if she were explaining quantum physics to a 10-year-old child. 

“ No, Ben, I didn't use the laundry, because your tunics wouldn't stand up to washing mach ines. They would be ruined in no  time. ”

“ So how did you do that? ”

She replied cheerfully, “I wash them  by hand in the apartment, of course. It took a little more work, I admit, but the result was much better. And now,  thanks to Constable Turnbull's tips, it should  be even better. ”

“ But ... it must have been a lot of work. Why do that? ”

Linda smiled candidly and replied, with a child's  innocence, “ Because  I love you. Not to mention  how much money  we  save . ”

Fraser suddenly stopped walking, in the middle of the street, the cold Chicago wind blowing under his Stetson. He didn't smile or look at Linda. She stopped, too, and went to him, worried.

“ Benny , what’s wrong? ” The girl looked worried . “W as it something I did? ”

He looked at the pavement near his feet and then looked at her, before sighing, “I don't know, Linda. Every time I think I know you, you always manage to surprise me. I always thought it would be impossible to love you more than I already do, but right now, that's how I feel. I love you more and _more_ , and sometimes I get scared, because I ... I ...” He stopped, unable to continue.

Thrilled, Linda just wrapped her arms around his thin waist, “ Oh, Ben, I love you , too. You don't have to tell me that. ”

Fraser ran his tongue over his lower lip, narrowed his eyes and finally looked into those green eyes that stared at him, full of love and confidence. And he stammered to say, “T- There's something I need to tell you ... I've been wanting to tell you this for some time, but it never seems to be the right time, and  – “

Linda smiled tenderly and said , bringing her hand to his face. “ Now is not a good time either, Ben. ”

Fraser was astonished, “ It is not? ”

“ No, Ben. We are in the middle of the street, the wind is cooling, it  may even snow a bit . Don't you think it would be better if we went home and talked about it in a more comfortable way? ”

Looking at her smiling face, Fraser couldn't help but smile too, and he gave in to her wishes. But they needed to have that conversation. He was getting restless, he wanted to talk about Victoria right away and get her out of their lives once and for all.

Somehow, his resolve faded when they arrived home and learned that Mr. Mutchnik had had a sort of gout flare-up. Mrs. Mutchnik asked for some of Fraser's Inuit balm, and as soon as they made sure the old man was better, Linda started making preparations for that evening's dinner with Ray and Martha. The Mountie decided that the important conversation he wanted to have with Linda would have to wait for another day.

Meanwhile, Linda concentrated on avoiding another conversation with him. She never told Fraser how close she was to passing out again in the middle of the kitchen. Worrying him even more was  what she wanted most to avoid . He seemed to have a lot on his mind. She had been having symptoms  for a while , but she  tried her best not to worry him.

Although Ray and Martha were not really interested in food and in company other than each other, dinner was pleasant. Fraser and Linda exchanged significant looks when they realized that their friends seemed to be getting along. After dinner, while Ray and Fraser discussed the case they were working on, Martha insisted on helping Linda with the dishes and making coffee, claiming that she didn't like police talk. And that was why Martha was the only person to see Linda's legs fail.

“ Oh, my God, Linda! ” Martha ran to help her friend. “ Are you okay? ”

Li nda tried to lessen her concern, “ Of course I am. It's all right. ”

“ You almost fell, Linda. Are you sick or something? ”

“ No, I'm fine. I may have been a little dizzy as usual, that's all. Please don't say anything to the guys. They would be worried for no reason. ”

Martha looked at her friend sternly and said, “ Linda, if you've been feeling this for a while, you  should see a doctor. It  could be serious. ”

“ I already  made some exams, Martha .” She tried to  dispel the other girl's concerns, smiling and trying not to show how scared she was about that . “ Believe me, everything is under control. ”

“Well…” Martha hesitated . “ If you say so, I believe  you . ”

“ So come on, we better hurry up , or the guys may get worried .  Could you please pass me those coffee cups? ”

The night ended very pleasantly, with promises to repeat soon. But not Sunday, because Ray was going to work and Fraser offered to go with him. In fact, normally Linda would offer to help both of them on Sunday work (despite Fraser's objections), but this time there was yet another night  stakeout involved and Linda had to work  Monday morning . Fraser was adamant, so Ray took  Linda home and went out to the  stakeout with Fraser.


	47. Chapter 47

## Chapter 47

In the middle of the night, when Fraser came home, Linda was fast asleep. He was tired and frustrated, because the  stakeout once again seemed to have been in vain. The case that he was helping Ray was a complicated murder, and there seemed to be no clues whatsoever, or maybe too many clues. The murdered man had all kinds of criminal connections, so there was no shortage of candidates or reasons. It was getting hard to imagine who had erased Teddy "Third Match"  Namy . Fraser smiled. Such a name was worthy of a gangster from old Chicago. His actions too, it seemed .

Even though he was tired, Fraser was happy that Ray gave him the opportunity to return to the front lines of police work. From time to time, the consular tasks he performed left him uneasy, feeling like a bureaucrat.  Although patient and disciplined, Fraser knew that paperwork was not his nature. He was glad he could be doing police work with Ray.

Fraser changed the water in  Dief's bowl and walked silently into the dark,  quiet apartment, trying not to wake Linda. He hung the leather jacket in the closet and  stopped when he entered the room. Linda slept with her back to him, the slender shape of her silhouette against the streetlight, a pale, soft shadow falling over the bed, her calm breathing beginning to affect his. She looked beautiful, a sleeping dream, a fallen angel.

He  was getting a bit uneasy .  No t only for loving this girl so much, but also because he would have to tell her about Victoria. It was the right thing to do, and it would expose his soul completely, as if it were an offering of his sacred love for her. It was a dark part of his soul, but Linda had to see it. It was the right way to start a wedding. There was no way for him to risk what he had already achieved.

At that time, he remembered his father's ghost, Bob Fraser. He had appeared sometime after his death, trying to give his son advice. Ben generally saw no use for the deceased's advice, but he was grateful for the concern, something Bob Fraser had not made clear in his lifetime. Ben felt that a conversation with his father (irritating as it could be sometimes) could help his relationship with Linda. Too bad he was gone.

Fraser had been extremely touched by Linda's confession that she hand-washed h is tunics as an act of pure love. And he looked at her sleeping , so calm and  serene , remembering the  many  time s when she would wake up during the night screaming,  terrified , disoriented, reliving a dark phase of her life. It seemed to have been in another  lifetime ... At that very moment, all Fraser wanted was to take her in his arms and make her his own, and then again, and again.

The mere idea generated and sent powerful electrical currents through Fraser's body. Gasping, he saw that he was getting seriously aroused and for a split second he remembered Linda's question about their sexual activity. Maybe he was really getting out of control. Fraser smiled to himself, because he didn't want to regain control of his emotions. He no longer felt that he could do this. He didn't even want that.

Fraser climbed onto the bed, and the movement made Linda move slightly. She looked over her naked shoulder, half asle ep, smiling when she saw Fraser behind her.

“ Hi ... Is it too late? ”

“Very much so.” He touched her shoulder, filled it with sweet kisses and said, his voice growing thick with desire, his body lighting up all over – “Linda… So beautiful ... So soft ... so hot ...”

Linda's sleepy body began to wake up in a sensual way, stimulated by Fraser's touch, the kisses beginning to spread across the back of her neck, sending tremors up her spine. His hands pushed away the covers, clothes, lingerie and held her body against his, letting her feel his pulsating desire, hard and hot, being rubbed enthusiastically against her buttocks. Linda tried to keep her breathing steady, but failed miserably.

“Ben ... ”  Her voice suffered severe changes . “Keep doing that and I’ll get excited.”

“ Great .” He returned to the kisses and used his knee to spread her legs.  “ That's  exactly  what I  have in mind ... ”

“Oh...” She moaned. “I love the way your mind works ...”

He kept  kissing the back of her neck, his tongue running over her ear, lying on top of her, face down, his weight on her, legs intertwining. Linda could feel her senses still a little lethargic, but the desire grew, and a complete sense of unreality.  _ If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up, _ she thought, with the last vestiges of rational thought.

Fraser used both hands to pull Linda's hips closer to him and gently penetrated her from behind, savoring the feeling of entering her warmth. Linda squirmed and arched when she felt the two bodies coming together, her insides being pleasantly filled by Fraser, a sense of familiarity when she squawked. She tried to move, but it was impossible due to the big male body on top of her, so she balled up the sheets with her fists when Fraser started to ride her, his hands on her hips, pulling her towards him, more and more of him entering her every movement. Linda also tried to lift her hips, to increase contact with him, her body accelerating towards total contentment. Fraser also picked up the pace, and lay fully on her, blood boiling, reaching out to grab her breasts, feeling the softness in his hands as he gasped on the back of her neck, filling her nostrils with the mixture of her essences, the perfume her.

Both  of them felt high temperatures boiling their blood , and Linda  rode a devastating orgasm as she arched backwards, unable to breathe, and almost at the same time received the hot Fraser seed inside her, feeling him shudder, scream and squeeze her in his arms as if he wanted to merge the two bodies together.

Once again, Fraser waited for her to catch her breath before stepping out of her, turning  over  her lethargic body and wrapping her in his arms, possessively. She kissed him and whispered, unable to ke ep her eyes open, almost asleep, “ I love you ... Forever and ever ... ”

He kissed her hair and murmured, “ I love you too forever. ”

Then he covered them both with the blanket he had thrown aside. Linda happily arranged herself in his arms, totally asleep, a small smile on her lips. Fraser felt his heart swell with love before he gave himself up to sleep.

** * * * **

Linda noticed a frustration building inside her. It was the last thing she expected. Not after all the time and work she had been through. She repeated, “ Nothing? ”

Dr.  Lennyard l ooked at the results and sighed, “ Well, I  can’t see anything wrong with you. At least nothing to explain why  you have passed out. But there has to be an explanation. It might be good to go to the gynecologist. It could be something related to hormones. Are your periods OK? ”

“Yes,” she shrugged “ as far as I know. ”

“ Can you remember the last one? ”

“ Not really. Not since I moved in ... two or three months ago. ”

The shrink looked at her and said, sternly, “You know what that means, don't you?”

“ No, doctor. ”

“ You may be pregnant. ”

Linda's eyes widened at his words. She had never considered that possibility.

“But ... I take those pills now. Are they not to prevent this?”

“ Yes, but you know that there is no 100% fail-safe medicine. Pills are consi dered the most efficient method.”  The doctor gave a half smile . “ Of course, if you don't practice celibacy ... ”

Linda knew the meaning of the word. For a moment, he tried to imagine her and Ben celibate. It was so hilarious that she couldn't help but smile or blus h. Dr.  Lennyard got the message.

“ Well, at least I managed to get a smile from you. But maybe you're taking it too seriously, Linda. Look, I'll make an appointment for you and then we'll have that cleared up. It may be none of that. You may not be pregnant, OK? But I think we better know for sure , don't you? ”

She was shaking, and didn't know what to do, except to nod.

“ Yes, doctor. ”

“ And I want you to tell me how it went, okay? Another thing: stop taking the pills immediately. ”

Linda nodded and left the office feeling strange. His feelings were all mixed up. She knew she  had been pregnant before, but she didn't remember anything, because the man who claimed to be her father had given her drugs to keep her from knowing. Then the baby had been stolen. Linda didn't know about it until much later, when it was too late, and it hurt her immensely just to think about it. Then she had been pregnant once , but she lost the child.

If she was really pregnant now , then ... She might have to drop out of school to take care of the baby.  And then she would never be a nurse. It was a painful thought, as it was an old dream of hers . Linda thought that mothering a Fraser baby would be a fair price to pay for the end of her dream of being a nurse.

But  just as she thought of all this , she started to be afraid. Fraser might not want the baby. She certainly knew he wanted children, but maybe  not at that moment . She was also not entirely sure that she could handle taking care of a small and dependent life. She had seen babies and loved them very much, but they always seemed to be so dependent, fragile and demanding. Was she up to the job?

Linda felt very divided. She didn't even know if she should tell Fraser before the results came. There was no way she could concentrate on work while all these things were dancing in her head. She was even relieved that she didn't have to clean the ICU that night. At that point, the corridors and the operating room were more than she could handle.

It was there that things got even worse.

“Are you Linda?”

She looked at the door. A black man she didn't know, dressed in a security uniform, w as looking at her. She answered, “I am Linda.  Can I help you? ”

“ Mrs.  Sorelli wanted me to tell you that one Frasier just came into the emergency. ”

The world tilted a bit and she felt strange.

“ Emer ...  gency ? ”

“Correct . A  Mountie, in a red  outfit , isn't he? ”

“ Yes .” She stared at the man, her heart racing . “ Yes, what happened to him? ”

“I don’t know.  Someone said something about a shooting. They just brought  him in . Emergency Room 2. ”

The broom that Linda was holding only hit the floor when she was already in the  hallway , running to the ground floor, where the Emergency  was . She didn't see anyone in front of her, she didn't hear any noise from a fully functioning hospital, because there was a lot of noise in her head.

When she found Room 2, she entered and stopped at the door. He saw the figure in the red  serge lying on the bed, motionless. His legs dangled out, his tunic was dripping.  There were red drops painting the floor white. Linda approached slowly, a strange pressure on her chest, her eyes insisting on tears.

Fraser was covered in blood, crimson stains on his neck, his eyes closed giving his face a deceptively peaceful expression. Linda couldn't remember how to breathe, but she walked quietly, very slowly to him. Teared eyes blocked her sight.

She leaned over him, suppressing sobs. And  s he whispered, in a  wisp of voice, “ Please ... Ben, don't be dead ... No. Please ... Don't leave me ... ”

And when she leaned over her bloody chest, not in the least caring about soiling her smock, she didn't see two sapphire blue eyes opening. But he heard the beloved voice call, “Linda?”

She lifted her head and saw his face, full of questions, looking at her. Then she felt so dizzy that she saw nothing else, but she felt her body become light, light, very light even, while Fraser's voice seemed to sound so distant ...

** * * * **

When  she opened up her eyes, Linda was still very confused. Blue eyes hovered over her, filled with concern, and she wasn't sure she was conscious.

“Linda ? Can you hear me? ”

She looked at Ben's face. He was still covered in blood, there were still blood stains on his neck, but his hands were stroking her hair spread on the bed where  she had been placed. Suddenly, she jumped up to grab him in such a tight embrace, as if she feared he would run away or disappear before her eyes.

“ Oh, Ben … ! ” She still had a broken voice, and could barely speak, in tears . “ I thought I lost you! I thought ...  you had  _ died! _ ”

Fraser felt her  shaking , and  stroked her back with affection. “ Shhh ... Now , everything is fine. Nothing happened to me. This blood is not mine. ”

She thought s he had heard wrong and repeated, “ It's not yours? ”

“ No. We went looking for a suspect, and then there were shots, but none hit me. The doctor came to see you, and everything is fine. We're both fine. ”

“ Oh, thank God, Ben ” Linda's tremors got a little better.  “ I was  so ... scared ...  S omeone to ld me that you had been brought… to the Emergency ... I'm sorry. ”

“ Linda, are you okay? You passed out. It's  not the first time. ”

“ It's just that I ... got really  scared. I'm so happy that nothing happened to you . ”

He kissed her forehead fondly and she l ooked at him. Ben almost smiled, “ Ah, now  look at you .  You’re also  covered in blood. ”

She sat  up the bed and said, “ I can clean up before I go to school. ”

Fraser asked, “ Are you sure you want to go to school? You should rest. ”

She sniffed and shed the rest of the te ars, settling on the bed to sit.

“ No problem, Ben.  Final exams are coming, and I can't  afford to  miss  any more  classes. ”

“ It's ok. But I will  pick you  up  at night. Wait for me, even if I'm late. ”

“You will be late ? ”

“ I have to go to the police station to help Ray with the reports. It may take a while. But wait for me. Don't go alone. ”

“ Ok, I  will  wait. ”

Mrs.  Sorelli came in at that moment, saying, “ Excuse me . Linda, I'm sorry. I think  this  was all my fault. I asked Louis , the security guard, to let you know that Constable Fraser was here, and he seems to have been ... unhappy in his phrasing. ”

“ No problem, Mrs.  Sorelli . Everything is fine now. ”

The nurse said, sincerely, “ I'm not so sure. So I took the liberty of calling Dr.  Lennyard , a nd he asked me to give him this.” She handed Linda a bottle with small yellow pills . “ These are light tranquilizers, and he assured me that they are completely safe. You should take them if you need to. One every six hours. ”

“ Thank you, Mrs.  Sorelli . ”  Linda managed to smile . “ I'll be fine. ”

“ Great . ” The nurse  smiled and went to the door, before speaking directly to Fraser . “ Please take care of her, Constable. ”

Benny assured, “ I'll do it. Thank you very much ”. When the nurse left, he turned to Linda, who was already jumping out of the high bed . “ And I meant it, Linda. Wait for me after school. But if you need to talk to me before that, call Ray. ”

“ Ben, everything's fine now. I was scared, but now I'm better . ” She  reached up to kiss him with affection . “ Now we better go and wash. ”

“ It's OK. See you later then. ”

Fraser kissed her again and left, still unsure whether it would have been the best decision to leave Linda alone. But she promised to wait for him and also call Ray. He fought all his impulses to follow her to school. It was time to know that he trusted her. So he went home to wash himself before going to the police station, trusting Linda to be fine.


	48. Chapter 48

## Chapter 48

It was very difficult for Linda to concentrate on class that night. In fact, she hardly heard the  bell announcing the 15-minute bre ak. Martha couldn't help asking, “ Hey , Linda. W here are you? ”

“ Is class over yet? ”

“ Come, let's  get something to eat . ”

Martha took her to Chandler's, the small cafe across from the school where they usually  had a cup of hot  cocoa on a cold night like that. They even had a favorite table, and went to  it. Then curiosity spoke louder, “ Linda, is something wrong? You barely paid attention in class. And it was history. You love history. What  gives ? ”

“ Sorry , Martha. I think I'm distracted, that's all. ”

“ Is there  a problem? Can I help? ”

Linda smiled at her friend in the smoky, dimly lit restaurant.

“ Thanks for asking. But I have to make a decision. I do not know what to do. ”

“ How about if I told you what I would do in your place? Sometimes it helps. ”

“ Yes, that can help .” Linda perked up. “T ell me, please, what would you do in my situation? ”

Martha almost smiled. 

“ Wow, you're really bad, huh? I don't even know what we're talking about. ”

Linda fel t ashamed and lowered her voice, “Can you  keep a secret? ”

“ Secret? Linda, you're scaring me.  What on earth is the matter?”

“ I may be pregnant and I don't know if I should tell Ben. ”

Martha's eyes widened.

“ Pregnant? Oh my God. Are you sure? ”

“ No, I still have to see the doctor .” Linda replied . “ That's why I don't know if I should tell Ben. It may be nothing, and he may be upset that I worried him for no reason. ”

Martha said thoughtfully, “ Ah, now I understand why  you were passing out ... ”

The girl was really distressed, “ Yes, that could be it. Martha, what would you do? ”

She  sighed,  “I confess that I have never been there, Linda and I would not like to be in your place, sincerely. But if I were you, the first thing I would ask myself was if I want this baby. Do you want it , Linda? ”

Linda lowered her head,  sighing, “ Of course I want it. It's Ben's baby, his son. Nothing could make me happier than giving him a baby. But maybe not now, you know? I mean, I always dreamed of going to a nursing school. How can I do this with a baby to look after? ”

It was the other girl's turn to sigh .

“ Well, you're very young, Linda. Younger than me. You can wait until the child grows up a little before  going back to school. Very well, we already have a question answered, which is very good in this situation. The second is: do you think  Fraser wants to have this child? ”

“I think so. But I'm just guessing, because I know he likes children. You know,  you should see  him with Ray's nephews. But still, he might think this is not a good time. I don't know if I should tell him. What if we make a lot of plans, but in the end  I am not pregnant and it is all for nothing? ”

“ Do you think he would be angry with you? ”

“ I am not sure , Martha. I need to think, but my head hurts and I still don't know what to do. What would you do? ”

The other girl shook her  head.

“You know; I don't know either. I said I was never in such a situation. It is not an easy decision. But you may not even have to do anything. Why don't you just wait and see Ben after you take the exams? Then you will be sure, right?”

“ It might be a good idea. My head really hurts. ”

Martha looked at the restaurant  clock on the wall and  said, “ I have an aspirin at  the classroom . Why don't we go in now, huh? Now try to pay attention. It  might help to relieve your head. ”

Linda  smiled.

“ Thank you, Martha. You really are a great friend. ”

The other girl did not respond, but smiled anyway, before they headed back to school and the classroom.

** * * * **

Linda soon realized that it wasn't working. The more  she tried to deny it, the less it worked. There was no way she could fall asleep. She was so restless that she would e nd up e ventually wak ing  Ben. After what had happened in the afternoon, he was  keeping an eye on  her, and if he felt her restlessness, he would wake up ,  too. So she decided to get up.

Ben moved when she stood up, but  he  didn't wake up. Linda looked at him in his sleep, relieved. Sleeping with someone was still a relatively new experience for Linda and she smiled painfully, because sleeping Ben was even more beautiful than when he was  awake, if that was possible. Then she spent a few seconds  staring at him, sitting on the bed, adoring him in silence, feeling her love for him growing slowly and steadily.

Still, there were so many things she needed to think about. Dr.  Lennyard had taught her how to deal with one problem at a time. If the problem seemed too big, she would have to cut it into smaller pieces, then solve them piece by piece, so that the big problem would be solved. But this time it didn't seem to be working ...

The seconds she spent looking at Benny turned into minutes, and Linda  recalled how she felt in the short time she thought he was hurt ... or dead. Just by thinking about it , an invisible hand stabbed her heart when she remembered the despair, the helplessness, the horror of seeing that beautiful presence being denied to her. And worse: for a second, she found herself alone, abandoned, pregnant and unable to care for a child.

Linda suppressed a sob, as her eyes filled with tears without her noticing, as she relived the moment. She knew she would die if she were separated from Ben, for whatever reason. Then she realized an aspect of the situation that had not occurred to her until then: if the worst had happened, if he had  died and  left her alone and pregnant, she would have an even greater responsibility than she had imagined. For she would not simply have to look after her son. She would be responsible for creating the last person to bear the surname Fraser. The last of the Frasers.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, this time with relief,  as Linda remembered what she felt when she discovered that Fraser  was safe . She realized, however, that if their relationship continued, there would be many moments like those, when exactly that could happen: a call, a shot, fear. Fraser was a cop, and a good one. He took chances a lot of times, putting his life on the line to save other people. If Linda were to stay with him, one day,  a call like that could be real. She would also have to be ready to face that.

A few minutes later, Linda was on her knees on the floor, head down, beside the bed, trying to wipe away tears and trying to breathe without waking Fraser, sniffling softly. Diefenbaker was at  her side. The wolf felt all  her tension, Linda could feel it. And she was very grateful to know that  Dief would take care of her as much as of Fraser. Now they were a pack, more than a family.

So she tried to convince herself of the  real facts . Nothing had happened,  Ben was alive and breathing on the bed where they slept, and for all intents and purposes the baby was still just a piece of fiction. There was no reason for her to be so tense. Linda repeated this to herself a few times, to try to convince herself for real.

Once again , it didn't work.

“Linda ? ” Ben's voice startled her, and she lifted her head, facing blue eyes full of concern and staring at her full of tears.  “ Linda,  honey,  what happened? ”

Promptly, he got up from the bed and gathered her in his arms, both on the floor, and his arms offered so much security that Linda could barely hide her  tears.

“ Nothing happened, Ben. I am fine. ”

Fraser tried to look into her eyes, but she avoided his gaze. He  sighed.

“ I won't say the obvious, Linda. ”

She sighed and  shrugged. “ I couldn't sleep. Sorry if I woke you up. I didn't  mean to . ”

“You should take another one of those pills that Dr. Lennyard sent. But ...” He looked at her. “Now I'm not sure you have taken one.”

"I didn't," she confessed.  “ I should only take it  in case of great need . ”

“A nd you don't think that fits? ”

Linda couldn't answer. All she said, in a very low voice,  was,  “ I' m sorry I caused you so much concern, Ben. ”

His voice was very kind and thoughtful when he caressed  her.

“ I just want to help you in any way I can . Don't you want to talk to me about what bothers you? ”

“ It's silly. ”

“ It doesn't seem to be. You can  talk to me, if you want.”

Linda could no longer hold the emotion and clung to his arms .

“ Sorry, Ben ....! I was so scared! ... I thought ... I lost you, Ben ...! ”

He held  Linda  with  affection.

“ Ther e, ther e ... Everything is fine now. ”

“ And I can't hide it, either. I need to  tell you  something. ”

“ You can  tell me anything, Linda. You know you can. ”

She took a deep breath, swallowed loudly and then asked, head  down, “ Remember I  had some medical  tests? ”

“ Yes. What about them? ”

“Dr. Lennyard thinks I may be ...” she stammered on the word, “p-pregnant.”

Fraser looked at her carefully. Linda risked looking at him,  his silence terrifying her even more. But he soon asked  carefully, “ And that scared you too, didn't it? ”

“ Yes .” She nodded  and looked away . “ I ... I didn't know how you would react. ”

“ Linda, you know I wouldn't be angry about a baby. There is no reason to be afraid. We may not have planned it, but I always wanted to have a child, and you know it. ”

S he lifted her head, and Fraser saw the green eye s almost translucent with tears.

“ Even if we weren't expecting it? ”

He smiled at her, full of tenderness, and kissed the tip of her nose.

“ I would love to have  a baby with you anytime, Linda. And think about it: Uncle Ray would be beside himself. ”

Linda couldn't help smiling at the thought of Ray's reaction to the news, and it helped to dissolve the tension she felt.

“ His family would love it too. ”

“ Especially his mother .” Then it was Ben's smile to fade . “ Yes, she really would. ”

She felt his sadness, “ Benny? ”

He  moved his head and smiled sadly.

“ Nothing, I ... I was just remembering my mom. I wanted her to see that. ”

Linda knew that Fraser had lost his mother when he was very young. A few years ago he had discovered that she had been murdered. He never talked about it, and Linda knew it was a very deep wound. She had so many of these ... So, she felt some o f his pain and kissed his cheek.

“ I know you miss her. I wish I could at least remember mine. ”

“ You know, it's strange , ” he said . “ We hardly kn e w our mothers, but our child would  most  definitely  _ not _ grow up without a grandmother. ”

The girl smiled , the first real smile she gave.

“ Yes, Mrs.  Vecchio would certainly take care of that. ”

“Was  that  what made you so tense?”

“ Well ... There's one more thing. ” Linda  burst into tears softly again,  her cheeks wet. “ I keep trying to remember, Ben, but sometimes ... it hurts a lot. ”

“ What's up, Linda? ”

She replied, a sm all voice, “ I don't know where our baby is ... He would be almost a year old ... ”

It hit Fraser right in the stomach, and he held her close. He didn't allow himself to think about it too much ; it was painful for hi m,  too. He barely managed to say, “ Nobody knows where he is, Linda. But hopefully he is fine. ”

“ Ben ... It hurts so much. ”

“ I know,  honey ... I miss him too. ”

“ They didn't  even let me know that I had him ... Then they took him away, Benny ...  I don't know anything about him ... I don't even know if  it’s a boy or a girl ... I don't know if he misses his  mother. .. If they treat him well ... If he eats well, if he cries when he goes to sleep, if someone  rocks him to sleep, if he is  _ loved _ . .. ” She was crying copiously, wrapped in Ben's arms, who was also in tears.  “ Will he blame me later, Ben? I t was not  my fault , Ben ... ”

“ No, Linda, you  are not to blame. But nobody was able to find him. ”

“ Our baby ...  I don't know where he is, Benny ... I wish he ha s  your eyes...  I wish I knew whether it  is a girl or a boy... I wanted ... Oh, Ben, I wanted … just to look at him ...! ”

She cried for a few mor e minutes, and Ben tried to say.

“Listen to me, Linda. I know it's tough, but I think we can conclude that the child is in good hands. If it was stolen to be sold, then the people who have him are wealthy enough to pay. The child must be with people who will be able to give him a good home. They might not even know how the baby came to their hands. They can be innocent.”

Suddenly Linda was startled, “What if they think of me as one of those mothers who abandons her baby at the door of a church or something? Oh, Ben! I would never do that! ... No, I would never do that ...! ”

“ Of course not. But in any case, I am sure they will notice that it was a baby that was the  result of much love. I love you, Linda. I love you forever .”

“ I love you too, Benny. More than  for ever. ”

They kissed, a way to reaffirm the love they felt, the pain they shared, the comfort they needed. For long minutes they just kissed, as if the touch of the lips could be a balm to relieve the pain and suffering for all they had been through. Then they were embraced, still looking for c omfort. Linda broke the silence.

“ Benny? ”

“ Yes , Linda ? ”

“ A child would be a big change, wouldn't it? ”

“Yes, indeed . ”

“ I may have to drop out of school. Maybe even from work. And also ... Oh my God. ”

“ What's it? ”

“ It just occurred to me now. What is Dr.  Lennyard going to do? ”

Benny was lost.

“ What you mean? ”

“ I have to talk to him about the situation. You know I can't make plans. He's my legal guardian, and he makes the decisions. ”

Fraser frowned. 

“But this has to be  _ your _ decision, Linda.  I have to confess something. I don't like the w ay  he interferes with your life . I am very grateful for everything he did to you,  Linda,  and the way he treat s you, but frankly, I have plans for us, and it's been a while since I had to ask anyone for permission to choose about my life. ”

Linda looked at him, a little surprised. She had never heard Ben speak like that, and she had never suspected the kind of feeling that Dr.  Lennyard's legal guard might cause ... 

Wait a minute. Did he say he has  _ plans for us? _

Fraser sensed that she was looking at him, and said, his voice soft. “Since it looks like we won't be sleeping anytime soon, I suggest we make some tea. Shall we go to the kitchen?”

Linda nodded and they went to the kitchen, turning on the light for the first time in the dark apartment. Fraser put a kettl e of water on the stove, saying,  “ Please don't misunderstand what I said, Linda. I didn't mean to scare you with what I said about Dr.  Lennyard . He's a good man and I'm sure he only wants the best for you. But, as I said, I have plans for us, and I would not like to have to fight him for something that we want. ”

“ What plans do you have? ”

“I already said a few times that I want to marry you. And I really mean that. I want us to get married. In addition, I thought we could also visit Canada.”

Linda's eyes widened.

“Go to  _ Canada? _ ”

“ Yes. I want to show you my father's  cabin , and my home.  W ould  you  like to go? ”

She approached him.

“ I'd love to go, Ben. But I never even left Chicago. More than that, there are places in Chicago that I have never been to. Canada to me is like another world. ”

He p ut his arms around her and said. “ For most Americans, Canada  _ is _ another world, believe me. But I'm sure you will like the Territories. I will love to show you everything. And ... if you like it there, we can think about moving. ”

Linda was increasingly  surprised: “Moving? There?  Forever? ”

“ Yes .” Ben smiled, and Linda realized it was a smile she had never seen before, one of a man who thought of his true home, the place to which he belonged heart and soul.  “ We could live in the cabin, and it would be safe even when I wasn't there because there is an Inuit village in the region. I'm sure the natives would keep an eye on you and the baby if I went out on patrol. Also, during the winter, there would be a lot of opportunity for us ... ”

The kettle with water boiled and the whistle interrupted it. Linda smiled as he made the herb al tea. Then she asked, “ Are you sure, Ben? Is that what you want? You know, I'm so ... inexperienced, and being totally alone in the middle of such a remote area ... ”

“ The Inuit village is not that far, and you would be safe there. Besides, it's not like I'm going to leave you alone all the time. But more important than that is that I know you're going to make it. For someone who washes red  serge tunics by hand, living in the  wild,  will be  a piece of cake . ”

Linda laughed heartily, realizing that he had just teased her. He sat down at the table in front of the steaming teapot and  put the girl on his lap, saying, “ I was also thinking about the wedding. I want to start preparations, if you approve. ”

“Now?” Linda was a little surprised. “I thought you said we would live together for a while, and then we would think about marriage.”

“ Yes, and t hat's exactly what we're doing.” He stared at her, a mischievous gleam in his blue eyes as deep as the Canadian sky at dawn . “ Are you thinking of refusing my honest proposal? Don't you want to grow old with me? In a cabin in the Territories? ”

Linda melted right  there on his lap and hugged him, “ I wouldn't even dream of  refusing you in any way . I love you, Ben. I love you more than ever, more than my own life. ”

They kissed passionately, and before they were both breathless, he set her on a chair to pour tea.

“ Linda, there's something I need to tell you. I've been thinking about saying that before, but ... somehow ... I don't know ... I  just…  couldn't... ”

She nodded, “ Yes, you said that before. What is it, Ben? ”

Fraser  didn't smile anym ore, and he looked very nervous.

“ This is some thing I think you need to know. But I don't know how to tell you that. ”

Linda smiled sweetly and grabbed his two big hands between her little ones and said, encouraging  him in a gentle and  kind way, “ Just tell me if you want, Ben, or when you're ready. I love  you so much. You don't need to torture yourself over that. ”

Fraser kissed her hands, touched them , but then he put them on the table and said, “ I love you too, Linda. I want you to know that I want and need to tell you  this . You have a right to know before we can move on. ”

Linda confessed, “ Ben, you're starting to scare me. What is all this about? ”

He had an urge to look away, but with an effort he didn't. Still, Linda couldn't help but notice that his voice had changed considerably, “ I need to tell you about a woman. A woman I met. ”

Linda stared at him, not sure what he was saying. Fraser lowered his head and started to s tare at the steaming cup of tea.

“ She ... was ... Well, I ... I spent almost 10 years of my life thinking about her. I arrested her and blamed myself terribly for what I did. Not that she was innocent, but ... I couldn't face her. Because of me, she spent 10 years in prison. ”

Linda noticed how difficult this was for Ben, how much he suffered with every word.  This was really important for Ben.  She tried to get him out of it, and started saying, “ Ben, please listen ... ”

He int errupted her, fighting emotions, “ No, Linda, please. I need to tell you. Just let me talk, okay? ”

It was Linda's turn to bow her head and nod, “ Okay, Ben. ”

Fraser took a deep breath and started, “ She and two men robbed a bank in Alaska. She was driving the escape car. One died, another went south and she went to Canada on a small plane. The  aircraft had to go down due to bad weather. The pilot abandoned her. I followed her to a place called Fortitude Pass. A storm had been blowing for days and when I found  her I had lost everything, my backpack, provisions. She was huddled against a mountain. Almost frozen, almost dead. So I sank my rifle in the snow and put my coat on top of it, and I held it while the storm came closer to us. And I kept talking to her to keep her from sleeping. And it snowed for a day and a night and a day, and when I couldn't speak anymore, I took her fingers and put them inside my mouth to keep them warm ... I don't remember losing consciousness, but I remember knowing  I was dying ... and then  I heard her voice. She was reciting a poem. Again and again. And I couldn't make out the words, but I couldn't stop listening. She had the most beautiful voice. It was as if I had known her forever, for several  lifetimes ... The storm finally passed and we had survived. After a day we found my backpack. We ate everything, everything I had in one meal. And it took us four days to get to the nearest post. We camped at night very close to the city, we could see the church tower. And I held her in my arms and she asked me to let her go. You know, nobody knew that I had found her. The police didn't even know her name. I could just let h er go. And she could have just run . ”

Linda was mesmerized by the narration, tears streaming down her cheeks as well as Ben's cheeks, the emotion c lear in his voice. She realized, “ You loved her. ”

Although it was not a question, Ben nodded, “ I always thought so. When she came to Chicago, I tried to help her. I thought she just stopped trusting people, and I wanted to make her believe in the world again. But she almost ruined my life, almost destroyed Ray's life,  Dief almost died and it  only ended when Ray shot me, which prevented me from  running away with her. That's why I have that scar on my back, and that's why it's so painful. ”

Linda was getting confused, the pain in her chest wouldn't let her remember how to br eathe, and she could hardly ask, “ Will you leave me? ”

She spoke so softly t hat he wasn’t sure he heard her, “ What? ”

Linda repeated, her voice shaking, her chest pain taking on biblical  proportions, but she had to ask, “Are you going to leave me because you still love her? ”

_ Oh _ _ God. _

Fraser knelt in fro nt of her and replied, solemnly, “ Linda, pay attention. I will  _ never _ leave you. I want to tell you this now, and again, and again, until you believe it. And there's something else you need to know. As much as I  thought I  loved this woman, it was never like that. It has never been so good, so full of peace. She had a darkness and a coldness  inside her  that I never saw in you. You showed me what real love is, Linda. Just for that, I  pledge myself to live the rest of my life with you. The only thing I can do is pray that you will accept me. ”

Linda looked into his eyes, huge blue sapphires that looked at her with adoration, filled with tears and love. He was not lying about that. She must have known that someday he would be mentioning a special woman. Of course, he should have had a woman in his life by now.

But she was confused.

“ Why ... Why did you ... te ll me ... all this… ? ”

Ben barely let her finish, “ I thought you should know. You need to know, Linda, how much you  mean to me and how you  affect my life. And how  loving you is  so  right for me. Only now can I see clearly that she was only a source of pain. ”

“Is she dead?”

“No, the police are still looking for her. And the bottom line is that I don't want anything to do with her anymore. You are the one I love. I'm sorry I hurt you, Linda. I just thought it was the right thing to do. Well, I still think, but  – “

She put tw o fingers on his lips and asked, “ Please. Say no more. Just ... hug me, please, Ben. ”

He obeyed, and in the tight hug, Linda felt his heart racing, beating against hers. She felt that it must have been extremely s trenuous for Ben, and suggested, “ Ben, listen. Why don't we forget that? I can see that it hurts you  very much , and it scares me a lot too, so why don't we put it behind us and never talk about it again? ”

“ You understand that I had to tell you that, don't you? ”

“ Sure. Now I know, and we don't need to talk about it anymore. Leave it behind, Ben. Let it go, okay? ”

The smile in his eyes towards Linda was worth much more than five million dollars and he asked, “See? _That's_ why I love you.”

Linda smiled and blushed, her tears being washed away by Ben's deep, passionate kiss. When she managed to breathe, she hugged him tightly and said,  solemnly, “ Y ou are all I have, Ben. All my life. Without  you, I am sure I  will  die. I love you so much. More than  for ever. ”

Fraser saw the  grave ness in the girl's eyes and sat down,  saying, “ I love you forever too, Linda. Now why don't you taste some of the tea? It can help to relax a little. ”

After sipping a little, Linda  agreed, “ We should really try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. ”

“ Are you going to the  doctor’s tomorrow? ”

“No, the day after. But the end of term exams is coming. I need to be alert for classes. That's why I don't want to take Dr. Lennyard's pills. They can make me sleepy.”

The corners of Fraser's lips went up suddenly and he said, taking the cups of tea off the table, “ Well, there is a well-known method, totally natural and free from  any  chemical ingestion , to cause sleep. It is very traditional, although it may not always have been used with the intention of promoting sleep. ”

Linda felt he was hiding another purpose with th ose words, but she took the bait. 

“ Really ? Which is? ”

Ben pulled her body against his and let his voice go lower until it reached a pitched  tone before saying thoughtfully, “ Let me see ... It starts like this ,” he kissed her lips, then her cheeks and then her neck . “Then it goes like this,” He continued, kisses floating all over Linda's exposed part, making her close her eyes in ecstasy. Ben  didn't stop the kisses to say,  “ Some people say it is very relaxing ... What do you think? ”

As if she were in a position to speak.

“ I ... ” \- She tried to catch her breath . “ I think ... that can ...  make me… really alert ... ”

Ben ran h is hands over her body and said, “ Hmmmm .... I may ... be doing ... something wrong ... Maybe ... if I do ... like this ... ”

Continuously, he snatched her up in his arms and deposited her on the kitchen table, climbing over her, covering her body with his, his lips also receiving special treatment. Linda looked a little surprised at Ben's  readiness , but she couldn't protest, her brain seemed to dissolve as nimble and secure hands started to remove her clothes in an extremely sensual way. All she could do was moan, gasp and help him out of his red  long johns .

“Oh, Ben ... ” She managed to say . “ Benny ... ”

H er voice denounc ed her total surrender . Linda felt  his lips press against hers, h is  tongue demanding passage into her mouth, and she knew she was defeated. Ben was pure power over her, and she was under an obligation to obey such a loving master. Excited, she wrapped her legs around his thin waist, panting, but he still wasn't willing to give in to her wishes. He continued to wash her body with kisses, prolonging the pleasure, arousing points on her body that she barely paid attention to.

Linda's senses went into a critical state, a total overload as soon as she felt the familiar nudge of the hot, pulsating, straight and adorable  flesh column in her belly. As Be n moved his head over her chest, the hard nipples waited for him in ecstasy. Her skin was tingling, her breathing was failing, and she thought that if she could choose an ideal time to die, it would be that.

The skillful tongue played with Linda, fluttering on the sides of her delicate navel, and she arched, feeling moist as she had never done before. She was so excited that she didn't think she could take it. She lowered her legs, planted her feet apart on the table and pulled him to her, begging, “ Benny ... please ... ”

The sound of h er soft  request was too much for him. He was so stiff and so sore that he almost fell off balance as he leaned over Linda. He kissed her deeply, she lifted her legs to wrap around his thin waist, and this time he guided his pulsating member into her warm  core . Entering Linda was always paradise, and she cried out when she felt filled, all the hidden places of her body open to him, and only to him, the man she loved.

Ben had his eyes tightly  shut , savoring the sensations before he took her legs and lifted them up to her shoulders, so he could penetrate her even deeper. Linda tried to suppress a howl of pleasure, and instead managed to let out a loud groan when he moved his hips forward, using his hands to hold her pelvis against his. She arched as far as she could, looking for more contact, so that there was more of him inside her, wishing that wonderful feeling would never end. She loved the way he made her feel.

So much pleasure wouldn't go unpunished, and Linda began to feel the explosion building inside her. She hadn't realized that her moans had grown in volume and timbre, but Ben had; and his speed had grown, giving her the only the option to rise and explode like a supernova, a blinding sensation that made Ben immediately join her. It wasn't just any figure of speech when she just blacked out.

Linda didn't find out how long she was beside herself, but when she opened her eyes, she was in bed, and Fraser was resting his head against her stomach, dark hair totally disheveled, little curls beginning to form, beautiful body curled against her legs snoring softly.

That was a very natural method of causing sleep, Linda thought happily, as she let herself slip for a restful rest.


	49. Chapter 49

## Chapter 49

With all the courage she  could muster , Linda went to the doctor the next day, and that same nigh t she told Martha all about the talk  she had had with Fraser about the baby .  Her friend wanted to know everything they talked about, and Linda was very happy to  confide in her. Martha said she was very happy that things were going so well for Linda. In fact, Martha even confessed that she wasn't ready to make the same kind of commitment to Ray. For Linda, it  made perfect sense . Ray and Martha had only recently met, and that kind of relationship should be built. At least, that was what she had always heard from Dr.  Lennyard .

On a  Friday  night when Fraser was with Ray in another  stakeout , Linda left school ready to go home alone. That was when he saw Francesca's  small car approaching. It was a surprise.

“ Frannie ? ”

“ Hi,  Linda . My brother said that you might need a ride. ”

“ Thank you, Francesca.  That is very kind of you.” Linda looked into the car, where there were two more girls . “ But you are with your friends. I  don’t want to impose . ”

“ Not  at all . We're going to have a girls-only night. Do you want to come along? After all, tomorrow is Saturday.  Do you work? ”

“ No, I'm off for the weekend. ”

“Oh, that’s perfect! Benton isn't home either, so why not enjoy and have some fun? Come with us. It will be great! ”

Linda thought for a while, and then came to the conclusion that there was no reason not to spend a few hours with  Fran nie and her friends. She smiled.

“ OK then. ”

“Great!” Frannie turned around to talk to the girls, while Linda got in the car. “Cindy, get over here. Linda is coming with us. And Shantal, use your cell phone to let Ray know about the change in plans.”

** * * * **

Ray was  beside himself. Not only he was pissed, h e was also ashamed. His Italian blood was about to boil when he knocked on Fraser's apartment door. T he Canadian answered, surprised.

“ Ray? Did something happen? You just left me here, and it's almost two in the morning. ”

“ I know, Benny, and I'm sorry for scaring you like that .” Then he started to hiss, so much anger was oozing out of all his pores . “ But I had to do it personally, to make sure  Frannie wasn't going to mess this , too. ”

Fraser watched the tri o enter the apartment, confused. 

“ Francesca?  Linda ? ”

The  petite Italian girl looked completely embarrassed when she walked  in, carrying Linda , who looked very c onfused. Francesca tried to say, “ Benton, I'm so sorry ...  I’m  _ really _ s orry .”

Trying to hide a chuckle, Linda repeated, i n a very thin and slurred voice, “ Benton, sorry ... ”

The Canadian looked at her intently at the absent, half-closed green eyes, the twisting legs. Then his keen, trained senses detected the smell of alcohol on Linda’s breath. Before he expressed his surprise, Frannie rushed to say: “I only found out when it was already too late, Fraser. It was all Cindy's fault. She exchanged Linda's juice for some fancy drink. She only had two glasses, not much, but it was too late. She is kinda… toasted.”

Fraser  reminded her , his voice soft, “ Francesca, Linda can't drink alcohol because of the medication she takes. You know  that . ”

The gi rl really seemed to feel guilty, “ Yeah, I know, Fraser, but I  didn’t know until it was too late. I'm sorry, please forgive me . I am  _ so _ sorry. ”

Ray said, “ Yeah, Benny, I'm sorry too. ”

Benny saw Linda's beautiful eyes become greener and greener when she glanced at him  and said, in a very funny voice, “ I'm sorry too, Ben ... Although I  cannot recall why we're  all  so  sorry ... ”

Benny c ouldn't help but  chuckle and said, “Oh, dear . ”

Frannie was still holding Linda, because the girl was slipping from her arms, unable to support herself on her legs. The Italian  lady said, “ I feel so bad, Benton. It was an abuse of  your trust , and I should have taken better care of her. Of course, I should also know what Cindy was up to, because she kept insisting to Linda all night to talk about ... well, you know,  the both of you , and ... Linda is so  innocent and kind that she didn't notice what Cindy was up to , but you know, I, I should  –“

Fraser interrupted her gently,  “ Francesca , everything is fine. I know you care about Linda. You wouldn't have let that happen if you could have prevented it. ”

“ I wanted to take care of her until this ...  was over , but Ray wouldn't let me. ”

Ray could barely contain his anger, “ I just asked a very small favor: take Linda home, and look what happened!  Frannie , you wanted to hide Linda at  our  home until she was  no longer hammered . More than that, you thought you could hide it from Fraser! Well, I'm sorry, little sister ... ”

She lowered her head again, “ Ray, I said I was sorry. ”

With her face worried, her voice still funny, Linda said, barely standing up, “ Ray, you shouldn't be fighting with your sister. You love her very much, you know that. ”

"Yeah, Linda, that's why she needs a lesson," said the detective. “ Come on, I'll make you some coffee. Caffeine will do you good. ”

Fraser gently removed Lind a from  Frannie's hands and said, “Well ... Ray, I can take care of everything from now on. ”

Linda was smiling, eyes almost closing, w hen she fell into Fraser's arms.

“ Yes, Ben ... Take care of everything .... ”

“ Are you sure you don't want help, Benny? ”

The Canadian changed Linda's position in his arms, to make the g irl more comfortable, answering, “I am quite sure, Ray , thank you . I can do that. I am a  Mountie . ”

Ray looked at his sister, disgusted, “ Well, I still think  Frannie should be here to see exactly what kind of trouble her inconsequential acts put Linda into."

Ben said, “There is no need,  Ray. Besides, Francesca seems to be very sorry. I am very grateful for the care you have taken with Linda. Both of you . ”

Linda got in, “ Yeah, Ray, thanks ... for everything ... And you too,  Franchesca ...  Frankescha … I mean,  Francesca ... ”

"Well, then, we're going," Ray said, now more concerned than before. " Frannie is going to  bring her books in the morning. And you can call me if you need anything. I don't know what kind of reaction Linda  might have because of the medication, so if you need to go to the hospital ... ”

"No, Ray," said Fraser. "From what Francesca said, she didn't  take a lot of alcohol, and she should be a little ...  numb for a while. But it should be possible to cure everything with a good night's sleep. I talked to Dr.  Lennyard about this before . ”

“ It's ok. But if you need to, you can call me , Benny. Anytime, okay? ”

"Thanks, Ray," said Ben, smiling.

Linda threw herself into Ray's arms and smiled.

“ Why don't you stay a little longer, Ray? ... You and  Frannie can stay ... ”

The Italian smiled, “ No thanks, Linda. Ma may be worried. Now  get some rest, okay? ”

“ Okay, Ray. Thank you. Good night, Ray. Good night,  Frannie .  Thanks for the juice.  It was good juice.  See  ya ! ”

The two brothers left, and Fraser helped her get to the bedroom . Linda smiled, saying , “ Hummm ... I don't know if I want to sleep now, Ben ... I'm feeling so light ... It's  so ooo good ... ”

He star ted to remove her shoes, saying, “ Sleeping will do you good, Linda. ”

She immediately pull ed him against her, hugging him.

“Hummm. You smell so good, Benny ... I love the way you ... smell ... It reminds me of apples… and pine trees ... And the way you ... are soooo soft ...”

Ben starte d unbuttoning her shirt, saying, “ Linda, please. You need to sleep now. ”

She was still smiling in a foolish and uncontrolled way, trying to  join her lips to his, saying, “ Okay ... but I want you ... now ... ”

He looked at her, an a lmost amused look, guaranteeing, “ I don't think you're in condition now. ”

Linda tried to approach him a second time, her voice getting m ore and more hoarse and sensual, “ You could ... test  me  ... Try  it ... We can ... make love ... right now . ” She tried to kiss his ear, stretching her tongue up, but the heavy eyes closed, and she lost her balance, even sitting on the bed . “ Can't we ...? Hmm? Please?”

Fraser kissed his f orehead affectionately and said, “ That wouldn't be a good idea now. ”

She tilted her head, looki ng puzzled, her eyebrows raised, “ Uh ... Why not? ”

“ Because I am a gentleman, and I would never take advantage of your current condition. Now sleep, my love. We will talk later. ”

“ Okay, Ben .” She just dropped on th e bed, sighing before murmuring. “ You take such good care of me, Benny. I'm very lucky to have you ... I love you, Benny. Forever... ”

“ I love you , too, Linda. I love you forever. ”

Of course, she didn't hear that.

** * * * **

Ben did not sleep at all that night. He took a chair from the kitchen and placed it in the bedroom, near the window from where the street light came in to caress her body, asleep on the bed. Ben's first intention was to get a book to help with the vigil, but he couldn't. For hours, he sat on the chair and just watched her while she slept, thinking how beautiful she was. And how much she needed him. He loved taking care of her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life doing that. Dief stood beside him.

Dawn was only minutes away when he heard a long moan from the bed. Linda tried t o lean on her elbows and called, “ Ben ...? ”

He was standing and beside her before he thou ght about moving. She whimpered, “ I don't feel well ... ”

It was the  cue he needed to take the bucket brought from the kitchen and place it under  her , while she emptied her stomach. Then he lovingly cleaned it, and she moaned, with a hand across her stomach, “ It hurts ... It hurts a lot, Benny ... ”

“ It will pass, Linda. Why don't you get some more rest? ”

“ I'll try ... ”  She said, tryi ng to adjust herself on the bed. “ Please ... don't go. ”

“ I'm right here. Rest well. ”

She sighed and still moaned, “ I don't think I'll be able to sleep ... never again ...  So much… pain ... ”

Less than ten seconds later, she was asleep. Fraser lay down beside him, thinking it would be a good chance to rest too.

Throughout the weekend, Linda found out firsthand that alcohol abuse could be a valuable experience, one she would never want to repeat. The girl called  Frannie and insisted on exempting the Italian from any responsibility in the incident. Even if it hadn't been her fault,  Frannie felt responsible.

In the days that followed, Linda had to take care of the food, under Fraser's supervision. She was worried. If she were pregnant, the  alcohol  incident could have consequences for the baby, and Linda knew it. That was one of the reasons why she couldn't wait for the results of the exams. Little did she know that pregnancy would be the last of her problems in a matter of days.

** * * * **

Linda didn't know what exactly had warned her of the danger. But she remembered Martha's bad mood in the even ing class. And that puzzled her, “ Are you okay , Martha? ”

“Yeah, I think so.” The girl shrugged, and Linda was curious. “Actually, not, not really, Linda. I'm _not_ OK. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm really upset with your friend Ray.”

“ Ray? ”

“Yes. He stood me up last night,  and I'm really upset. ”

Linda was very intrigued. It wasn't  like Ray to do such a thing. Besides, Linda thought Ray really liked Martha.  But he  also  hadn't come to pick up her or Benny for work in the morning, so she hadn't seen him all day.  She didn't know anything.

“ Are you sure he didn't try to call you? ”

Martha looked really hurt, “Of course I am. I even started to worry when I saw he was late, so I called the police station, and they said he had gone out early. He could have warned me. Linda, sorry, but I'm really upset. If he didn't want to go out with me anymore, all he had to do was say so. I would have understood it.”

A strange knot began to form in Linda's st omach. She said, “ I think you're getting it all wrong, Martha. I think it may be something else, and I swear I don’t like what I’m thinking. I hope I'm imagining things. ”

“ What  are you thinking? ”

“ I think ... something happened. ”

“Some thing? ... ” Martha's eyes wide ned. “ Something like what? ”

L inda closed her eyes and sighed, “ He's  a cop.  Bad things happen. ”

“ Oh, no ,” Martha shuddered . “ No, it has to be something else. Linda, what are we going to do? Oh my God. I feel so bad ... And  here I was, thinking  he had been a jerk ... ”

“Keep calm,”  said Linda . “Maybe it’s n othing.  This is  our last class. I'm going to talk to Ben. Maybe he  has seen Ray, and he knows what happened. We may just be imagining things. ”

Fraser had not seen Ray  since the night before . Nor  had  anyone in the district. Elaine quietly contacted Francesca. The  Vecchios also knew nothing.

Ray had  vanished without a trace.

** * * * **

From the moment Ray  was  declared missing , Fraser and Linda's life was turned upside down. Fraser spent all his time outside the Consulate helping Jack Huey and Tom Dewey, as well as the other officers who were on the case. It had been a request from Lieutenant Welsh. Since Fraser was helping Ray in the case he was working on, the Canadian could give tips to the other detectives.

As for Linda, she and Diefenbaker practically moved to the  Vecchio residence in North Octavia. Ray's mother was devastated by the disappearance of her son, and even though  she had two daughters, Linda felt that  she needed to be there , if only to provide support, as they had done so many times in the past for her. Linda was very  worried , and Fraser insisted that she  did  not miss classes or work, to relieve some of the stress.

For three days, Linda and Fraser thought they had known the true meaning of the word  h ell.

"Ben, please, get some sleep." Linda had a pleading tone in her voice, but she spoke softly inside the police station. It was close to a quarter to four in the morning and she silently asked the heavens for the Dragon Woman to reconsider the request for a break so Ben could rest . “ When we find Ray, you won't be able to help him. Because you are tired.”

“ I  cannot rest . I have to find out more about the man who was shot last week. You know, the one who bled on me and scared you so much. He was involved in this, somehow. He can take us to Ray. ”

Linda took his face in her hands, saw the deep-set eyes with dark c ircles, the pale skin, and said, “Can't you see you are on auto pilot ? You will not do your job well if you  keep going on like this. ”

“ I can t ake  even more than that. Why don't you go home and try to get some sleep? Diefenbaker can take you to safety. ”

“ Ben, please ,” Linda was almost in tears . “ I'm worried about you , too. ”

They hugged, and Linda let a few tears fall on Ben's leather jacket. She didn't want anyone at the police station to see her crying, because it would seem that she didn't trust their work. That was not true. She knew how hard everyone was working and trying to get Ray back.

Fraser knew that Linda was apprehensive, and he wanted to relieve some of the pain she had. That was the main reason why he sent her to the  Vecchios ' house every day  – they could help comfort her. As for him, he had to focus on finding his friend.

That's when a  shout was heard in the district.

“ We found a clue! ”

Linda was startled and Fraser ran up to Detective Dewey, who was smiling from ear to ear. Welsh ran out of the office, and the noise also attracted Huey and Elaine. Dewey soon explained, reading from his notes, “It’s the Riv! A green Buick Riviera, 1971, Chicago Cook County license plates, LCV 705. A patrol called it in just now. It was found near the North Branch of the Chicago River, way outside the city.”

Jack Huey asked, “ And Ray? ”

“ No Ray yet, but it's a place to start. ”

Welsh agreed, “ Dewey is right. And it i s time to  squeeze your source. Jack, you and  Big Red here take a team of experts up north and check the car. Elaine, I want you to order one of the uniforms to take Linda home. ”

“ No, Lieutenant, thank you ,” said the girl. “ I would like to wait here . I mean, if you're all right with it . I can bring you coffee. ”

“ Of course  y ou can stay as long as you like , Linda .” He turned to his detectives . “And you?  What are you still doing here? ”

Huey stood up , coat in hand .

“ On  our way, boss. ”

Fraser kissed Linda quickly and took the Stetson before following Huey to the door, Diefenbaker behind them. Linda watched them go and shivered, silently asking Ray to be found soon, while Dewey returned to the phone, trying to find a few more sources or informants that might be useful.


	50. Chapter 50

## Chapter 50

Linda returned from the coffee shop and handed one of the three cups she was carrying to Elaine. The girl smiled tiredly and said nothing, while Linda just returned the smile. Linda went to deliver Dewey's cup when she heard Elaine  gasping loudly. The girl followed the look of the  female  police officer, who was wide-eyed glued to  a person who had just entered the  almost empty precinct .

It was a man that Linda had never seen before, a short blond man in disheveled clothes, who seemed to slide more on the floor than to walk like a normal person. His hair was apparently combed up. At that early hour of the morning , he wore dark glasses. Obviously many people in the  precinct besides Elaine knew him, and it seemed that his presence was really unusual. He realized he was causing a  bit of a sensation, but he didn't change his pace and went to Dewey's table, taking off his glasses.

Linda realized that she was staring at the man, and that was not polite.  So she went to Welsh's door and gently  knocked. She heard him shouting, “Come i n! ”

She obeyed, cup in hand, “ Excuse me , sir. I thought you might like a cup of coffee. Good thing that store is open all night.  Here is a caffeine-free and sugar-free cappuccino for you. ”

He was lost in p apers, and barely looked at her, “ You can leave it there, Linda, thank you. ”

He looked tired, she noticed. Then she cam e over, smiled and said, kindly, “ We'll find him, Lieutenant. I know we will. ”

Welsh stared at her, feeling his experienced heart break at the young woman's innocence.  Vecchio could be dead by now, and he knew it very well. Five days was too long to survive.

T hrough the open door to his office, Ray  Vecchio entered. Not the  _ real _ Ray  Vecchio . The substitute Ray  Vecchio . Welsh's eyes widened.

Linda realized that the man who had caused a sensation in the  precinct had entered the lieutenant's office. Neither spoke at first. The newcomer looked at her, obviously not knowing who she was, so she lowered h er head, uncomfortable and said, “ If you need anything else, Lieutenant,  please just ask. ”

She turned to go, but the man was at the door, blocking her way. Welsh ignored Linda enti rely and addressed the newcomer, “ What are you doing here, Kowalski? Don't you know how dangerous this is? ”

His voice was strange, liquid and thin, with an acce nt that Linda couldn't identify, “ I heard about  Vecchio . I think I can help. ”

“ Do you know where he is? Did he hear anything? ”

“ I did .”  He looked at Linda again . “ New civilian  aid ? ”

"Almost," said Welsh.

Linda felt her face blush, “ Excuse me, Lieutenant I will leave you alone with your friend and wait for Benton outside. ”

The man named Kowalski asked, “ Are you talking about Benton Fraser? ”

“ Yes. Do you know Ben? ”

“ Yes , we are friends. I've heard about you. Must be  Linda . ”

“ Yes , I am. ”

“ Well, Linda, do me a favor,  okay ?  Tell him I said hi. ”

“ Yes, I will, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me. ”

Linda left Welsh's office, almost immediately forgetting the stranger, and offered to help Elaine. Then she went to the cafeteria, trying not to think about what was going on. But it was useless. Her mind refused to think anything, but she just wanted to believe that Ray would be back soon.

Without  meaning to , she ended up dozing and woke up  startled . Then she thought about  getting more coffee for the lieutenant. She entered the room, and the man Kowalski was no longer there. Welsh barely spoke to her. It was almost morning and Linda realized something was going on at the gate. She ran over there.

Ben came in the door, right behind Diefenbaker, and he looked exhausted. Jack Huey was following them, and he wasn't in better shape, either. Linda ’s heart broke to see the man she loved so  desolated , and there was nothing she could do. She approached him an d he shook his head,  dejectedly , “ We  couldn’t find anything. ”

Linda's heart seemed to sink.

As the detectives and po lice approached them, Huey said, “ It was  the  Riv ,  all right , but there was no sign of Ray. No clues, nothing! ” He kicked a closet, frustrated. Then he opened his jacket and put his hands on his hips, sighing.  “ Forensics is still working, but t he car ha s been all cleaned up. There were no fingerprints, no fibers.  It was job by pros . ”

Fraser added, “ There was also no way to track where  it has been . Diefenbaker did not catch any  scent . I'm so sorry. ”

Welsh  sighed and said, “ It wasn't your fault, Constable.  The wolf did what he could. ”

Linda decided to take the  initiative and said, determined, “ Lieutenant, I'm going to take Ben home now. He needs to get some rest, or else he can't be of any help. Can we come back later? ”

The old policeman nodded,  “ Sure ,  you  do  just that, Linda .  You both need to rest. So I took the liberty of calling both the hospital and the Consulate. The two of you have the day off . ”

Ben was so tired that he didn't even protest. He nodded to Ray's boss and put his arm around Linda's shoulder after she  put on the coat and called Diefenbaker. Both said  their  goodbye s politely and Linda felt something strange. It was a sense of imminent danger, as if a funeral was about to take place. She didn't like that.

In the afternoon, after they had both slept a little, eaten even less and changed their clothes, Ben returned to the  precinct . Linda bought some food and  walked to the  Vecchio house, her head full. She knew she would have to tell the family about  Riv , who was still being held as evidence, but would have to be  brought home . However, the girl also had to tell those people that there was no new evidence about Ray's whereabouts. More than five days and they were still totally lost. You didn't have to be a genius to predict the frustration of all  Vecchios . Like the frustration of everyone at the police station.

Linda was so distracted that she didn't notice three men following her on the way to the  Vecchios ' house. About two blocks before the house, her path was crossed by a short, stocky man in a thin brown suit and vast straight hair in a square face. His approach was definitely polite and friendly, “ Excus e m e. Is your name Linda , by any chance ? ”

She stopped walking, looking at the man, then noticing the other two men who accompani ed him and replied suspiciously, “ Yes,  that’s my name.  Do I know you ? ”

The man with the brown hair and eyes was really short, Linda noted. He smiled, and his eyes almost closed when he did this, “ Actually I never had the pleasure, but I believe you know some friends of mine. I used to be friends with Ray  Vecchio . We grew up in  this neighborhood together. I heard what happened to him. Er r .. Can we walk together? ”

She asked, “ Are you a friend of Ray's? ”

“ I said we were friends as kids. Her e , ” he offered, “ let me take your  bags . ”

In fact, he made a quick gesture to one of the men who were with him (a big guy in a dark suit) and he gently removed the  grocery  bags from Linda's hands. They started walking towards the  Vecchio house.  Linda was grateful for the help.

“ Thank you, sir. May I ask how do you know who I am? I never saw  you at Ray's house. "

“ You're the  Mountie ’s  girl.  You live with Fraser. ”

Linda's eyes widened.

“ Do you know Ben, too? ”

“He and Ray are joined at the hip, aren't they?” The man was talking. “Besides, your Mountie helped me some time ago. I had a problem and he helped me. I will never forget that.”

Linda smiled.

“ That's what Benny does best.  He helps people. ”

“ I really like your  Mountie ,  M iss. Believe me, I owe him, and I would help him, if he needed . That's why I want to ask you a favor. ”

“ A favor? ”

“ Yes. Could you please send a message to Mrs.  Vecchio ? ”

“ Ray's mother? Sure. ”

The little man started to speak very clearly and slowly, so that she could hear clearly, “ I would like you to tell her that I have nothing to do with what happened to Ray. I am also Italian, you know, and I know these things are hard on a purebred Italian mother. Tell her that I remember how the other cops wanted him to arrest me for my sister's death, but Ray didn't let that happen. I never forgot that either, so I want her to be absolutely sure that nothing that is happening to her son is my fault. ”

Linda was confused. Wasn't he a friend of Ray's?

“ Sorry,  sir , but I don't understand. ”

“ I can repeat everything for you,  sweetheart , but the important thing is that you deliver the message. I want you to  tell the  Vecchios that I have nothing to do with Ray's disappearance. ”

“If that's what you want me to do, I will do it, but I don't understand why you can't tell her yourself. You said you were an old friend of Ray's. I'm sure Mrs. Vecchio will be happy to see you, if you want to show your support for the family.”

“ No, honey, you didn't hear what I said. ” He smiled.  “ I said Ray and I grew up together and were friends as kids. Then we split up. ”

“Really? I don't understand why ... ”

He interrupted her,  saying dryly. “ My name is Frank. Frank  Zuko . ”

Linda blanched instantly, recognizing the name. Frank  Zuko was the mobster in the neighborhood and he and Ray had a history. The story, of course, involved Fraser.

Zuko noticed her reaction and stopped walking with a sigh. Then he motioned to the other man to re turn the grocery bags and said, “ I think this is where our conversation ends. ”

Linda received the purchases and realized that Ray's house was less than a hundred  yards from where they ha d stopped. She acted on an impulse.

“ Wait,  please,  Mr.  Zuko . Look, I don't know what happened between you and Ray or with Ben , and that's really none of my business. But if  you really ha ve nothing to do with what  is going on now , then I need to ask you to help us find Ray. I'm sure you know people who can help. And we really need all the help we can get. ”

Zuko looked at her, as if he could find out more about the girl jus t by looking at her. He noticed, “ You're really worried about him, aren't you? ”

“ We all are, Mr.  Zuko . We love Ray. ”

The mobster looke d around, sighed, and then said. “ Okay, let's  make a deal,  then. I will ask some questions out there. See if anyone knows anything. It's the best I can do. Just to be clear, I'm doing this for the  Mountie.” He smiled . “And now,  for you too. ”

Linda returned the smile. “I really appreciate it, Mr. Zuko. With all my heart.”

“ Good girl. ”

That's when Linda  heard Francesca's voice, “Linda! Linda, come inside now! ”

Linda looked up.  Frannie was on the porch of the house, hands on hips, looking ready to launch a deadly attack on  Zuko , deadly lasers coming out of her eyes. Linda was embarrassed and said, “ I better go now. But don't worry, I'll give your message to Ray's mom. ”

“ I owe you, Linda. Maybe someday I can pay you back, as well.”

Linda ran  inside the house, while  Zuko and his men left, under Francesca's furious looks. The Italian t urned to Linda, still irritated.

“ Why were you talking to that  scumbag , Linda? Don't you know who he is? ”

“ I didn't know who he was,  Frannie . But  then  he introduced himself to me .”  Linda looked intimidated . “ He said he could help find Ray. I don't want to refuse any help. ”

Frannie looked disgusted. “He's probably involved in this, up to his neck. Listen to what I'm saying, Linda: you better stay away from him and his people. He's a rattlesnake. Ray would be furious with you if he knew that.”

Linda sighed and put the purchases in the kitchen, changing the subject  so as not to argue with  Frannie , “ Where's Ma? ”

“ Up stairs .  S he finally agreed to get some sleep. ”

“ That's  good . ”

As if hearing, Mrs.  Vec chio's voice was heard overhead.

“ Francesca, is Linda there? ”

The girls looked a t each other, and Linda replied, “ I'm here, Ma. I brought fresh  basil and green oregano.  I hope  this helps in your  special  sauce. ”

The old Italian woman came down the stairs and said, “You really are a good girl, _bambina_ _mia_. Here, let me show you how to make a special pasta sauce.”

“ Ma , you don't have to do that now,”  said Linda . “ Why don't you go up and rest some more? ”

“ I'm not going to l ie down now,  _ cara _ . I do not want to.”

Linda felt that Ray's mother was trying very hard to hold back her tears. The girl decided to change her strategy.

“ Ma, I ... I ... Wow, I'm so ashamed. ”

“ What happened,  _ bambina? _ ”

“ Ma ... Could you ... help me ...? ”

“ You can tell me anything, you  know that . ”

Frannie said, dismayed, “ Linda, we're here to help you. ”

Linda lowered her head. She didn't like to lie, but she wanted to speak to Mrs.  Vecchio alone. The experienced Italian Mamma felt the girl's discomfort and said, “ Francesca,  _ cara _ , I a lso need rosemary for the pasta sauce. Could you pick me up a little at the supermarket? It has to be fresh, and with very resistant leaves. The darker the better. ”

Frannie regarded them both suspiciously. But there was nothing she could do, so she sighed, resig ned, and said, raising her arms, “ Of course, Ma. And I will take a long time, too. ”

As soon as she left, Mrs.  Vecchio made Linda sit at the kitchen table and as ked, in her most maternal voice, “ Now tell me,  _ bambina _ . What  is wrong with you? ”

“ I have something to  tell you ... ”

“ To  tell me? ”

“ Yeah, someone asked me to give you a message. ”

Mrs.  Vecchio looked at her and asked, “ Does this have anything to do with Frankie  Zuko carrying your  grocery bags a few moments ago? ”

Linda's eyes widened. Ma  Vecchio ’s cleverness a lways impressed her so.

“ Did you see that? ”

“ I was in my room, and I saw you on the street. You know, Frankie and Ray were once friends. But later... ”

“ I know, Ma, Mr.  Zuko told me. He asked me to tell him that he has nothing to do with Ray's disappearance. He said that he knew  you would be very sad, but it would not be his fault. He also said something about his sister, that Ray helped him when she died, something like that. I didn't really understand that part. ”

Linda saw that Mrs.  Vecchio's eyes were filling with  tears and she hugged the old  Italian mamma tenderly, letting her cry the tears she had been holding back from the rest of the family. Linda cried , too. The two hugged for a long time, sharing the pain. Then Mr s.  Vecchio said, “ So, actually, you had nothing to say. ”

“ Ah, but I have, yes. ”

“You do?”

“ I wanted to ask you something. ”

“ Then you can ask,  _ bambina _ . ”

“ I asked Mr.  Zuko to help find Ray, Ma. Only now I'm wondering if Ray is going to be mad at me for this. I just wanted to help. ”

Ma  Vecchio smiled at the girl and w iped away the rest of her tears.

“ I'm sure he won't care about that. And if he says anything, I'll make him sure to be sorry he said it. ”

“ Good, Ma. I can't wait to see  him home again. ”

Ma  Vecchio hugged the gir l to her chest, his voice shaky, “ Me neither,  _ cara _ . Me neither. ”


	51. Chapter 51

## Chapter 51

After spending another night at the  Vecchios while Fraser was with the police, Linda went to  the hospital and noticed that  working really helped her not to think about Ray all day.  So she threw herself at work, and spoke to the Intensive Care patients, explaining why she  had been absent  for so long. Fraser would stay at the Consulate all day, catching up on diplomatic paperwork. After his shift, the Canadian would go to the district, Linda knew.

In the evening, she was at school, to let Fraser rest, and noticed that Martha was restless. Linda trie d to calm her down, saying only, “ We'll find him, Martha. Do not worry. ”

The girl said, “Look, Linda. I  cannot handle it anymore. Sorry, but I don't know how to deal with it as well as you do.”

“ What are you talking about? ”

Martha looked very nervous, and Linda was getting distre ssed. The girl tried to explain, “ You said it yourself, Linda. He's a cop and things like that happen to cops, right? Well, I can't live my life like that. I'm sorry. I wish I could, I wish I could be a more understanding person, or just a better person, I don't know. I think it takes a special woman to be a cop's wife, you know? And I am not like that. I think I better  call the whole thing off and forget about Ray. ”

Linda was penalize d to see her friend's suffering.

“ Oh, Martha ... I'm so sorry ... ”

“ Yes, I'm sorry too. I can barely handle the bad news, and I can't even support his family. I am such a horrible person. ”

“ No, Martha,  you are not . I know you care. You may not know how to deal with it, but you are not entirely insensitive. The mere fact that you feel bad is an indication. ”

“ Oh, Linda .” the girl said, almost to tears. “ I  wish I could be a real friend for you ... ”

“ You are, Martha .” The entrance bell rang . “ Now let's go. Try to focus on the class, okay? It helps. ”

They took math and grammar classes. In the middle of an explanation about phrasal verbs, a paper for Linda arrived from the school office. It contained two urgent messages. One was from Fraser, asking him to meet her at Chandler's during the break between classes. The other message was from Detective Jack Huey, and it was long-awaited news. It said Ray had been found; he was alive and in the hospital. It had no further details.

Linda heard nothing more than what the teacher said for the rest of the class, her heart  totally racing , entering a definitely tachycardi a rhythm, so loud that she could almost hear it in her ears. Ray was alive, Ray had been found, Ray was  there!

When the bell rang, she shot out of the chair and ran over to Martha, almost in tears.

“ They found him !! ”

“ What? ”

“ They found Ray! He is in a hospital, but he is alive!! ”

Martha looked taken aback.

“ Oh, Linda !! ”

The two hugged, and both cried. Then Linda separated from her friend and said, still excited, “ Benny must be waiting for me there at the restaurant. Maybe he'll take me to the hospital right now! ”

“ Are you sure he's there? ”

“ He called the school ’s office.” She showed the note . “ Come on, let's go! ”

Martha had never seen such joy in Linda's eyes before . The only exception had  perhaps  been the time when she and Fraser had decided to move in together. The girl ran down the street to the bar almost pub and Martha noticed that Fraser was in their usual place, already waiting. Linda came up to him, unable to h ide her excitement.

“ Did you hear it ? Do you hear it , Ben? ”

He didn' t smile and got rid of her arms.

“ I see you already knew about Ray. ”

“ And we're going to the hospital right now,  aren’t we ? I mean, that's why you came, isn't it? ”

Martha noticed that Fraser was staring at her, hat in hand, a backpack and the sleeping bag on the booth bench. So s he knew it was necessary to say.

“ Er ... I'll talk to you later. ”

Fraser said, “Thank you very much, Martha.” The girl turned to go, and she was within earshot range to hear, “Linda, sit down. We have to talk.”

Then Martha went to the booth across the room. She watched the couple from a distance, while talking to other classmates. Ten minutes or less passed, the bell was about to ring and call for the rest of the classes. Martha did not know if Linda would come, because she had heard Linda say that she hoped to go with Fraser to the hospital. She looked at their table at Chandler’s. Fraser got up, put on his hat and carried his things, leaving. Linda got up from the table, holding the books, and seemed to have suddenly lost all her excitement.

Martha  went straight to her.

“Linda ?  Are you right? ”

All the girl said was, “ Let's go back. Classes are about to start. ”

Even  her voice sounded different, Martha  realized . It was low er than usual. Martha  said, “ But ... I thought you were going to the hospital to see Ray. ”

“ I  will . After school. Benny asked me not to miss classes. ”

“ Is he going to the hospital? ”

The bell rang at that  precise  moment, and Linda turned to leave Chandler's, cross the street and return to school as soon as possible, so as not to have to answer Martha's question.

** * * * **

Francesca was the last to arrive at the hospital, because she had been detained in a distant part of the city and was not home when the good news reached the  Vecchio residence. The youngest of the family was possessed because of this,  although  relieved that her brother had finally been found. The past six days had been a nightmare.

But one thing worried Francesca: no one said anything about his condition. What if Ray was very sick? Or worse, badly hurt?  _ God, please don't let him come back to us just to die ... _

When she walked towards the emergency room's automatic doors, she ran into Detective Jack Huey standing on the sidewal k. She changed course and asked, “ Where is he? Where's Ray, Jack? ”

“ Frannie , calm down. ”

“ Where's my brother ?! ”

“ Second floor, room 215. I just went out for a cigarette. ”

“ How is he, Jack? Oh, my God, is he hurt? Will he live? ”

“They're still examining him, Frannie.”

_ Oh my God Oh my God Oh my God _

“ But it looks like he'll be fine. ”

“ Oh, thank God! ”

“ Your family is up there. They asked for you. ”

She ran, “ Thanks, Jack! ”

Francesca went up the stairs as fast as she could. To the left,  s he found a  quite large  group of people, and a nurse trying to control them.  _ Poor thing, does she  _ _ really  _ _ want to control  _ _ Vecchios _ _? Good luck _ _ with that _ ,  Frannie thought, smiling.

Frannie approached them and Maria assured her that Ray was total ly out of danger, but he was weak and dehydrated.  Also, he had been severely drugged. Doctors said he would have to be hospitalized for at least three more days before he could walk.  Frannie looked into the room. Ma was with him, and Linda was beside the unconscious patient. For some reason,  Frannie thought Linda looked even worse than she did when Ray was  missing. The youngest of the  Vecchios entered the room, and kissed her mother's forehead before turning to examine Ray. Carefully.

Ray was unconscious, an IV on his index finger and a  respiratory  vent on his characteristic nose.  Frannie noticed that he had been cleansed and shaved, and his skin was a terrible shade of gray , with purple spots on his forehead. She winced. Then h er eyes came to Linda. Francesca was able to watch her closely. The girl was in a trance, looking at Ray, holding his hand. Linda had tears that kept coming down her cheeks and she barely breathed, but she didn't seem to be fighting for air. She was whispering something to Ray, something  Frannie couldn't hear.

Mrs. Vecchio gently guided Frannie to the door. “Linda asked to stay with Ray until he woke up.”

“ Mom, she doesn't look well. What  is wrong with her ? ”

“ She was very worried when  Raymondo disappeared. ”

“ We all  were ,  Mom , but now everything is fine. ”

“ Yes, but you know Linda is ... sensitive and special. ”

“ And where is Fraser? ”

“Ah, another thing that broke her heart,” said Mamma Vecchio, touched. “She said Benito had to leave, suddenly. He could barely say goodbye.”

F rannie quickly drew conclusions, “ That inspector ...! The re was no worse time! I swear, M om, that woman hates Fraser! ”

“ Linda said she made a point of explaining this to her bro ther in person as soon as he wakes up. ”

That's when  Linda raised her voice, weeping, “ Oh, Ray! ... Ray! ”

The detective's eyes were half-open and he  squeezed Linda's hand gently, a faint smile. She tried to smile, tears still flowing, while Ray tried to speak. L inda tried to calm him in bed, “ No, don't say anything, Ray. It's okay now. You will be  fine . The whole family is here, me too, and Ben had to leave, but he asked me to say that he is very happy that you are well. ”

Ray tried to smile and Linda seemed to light up. A nurse came in and tried to push Linda away.

“ I'm sorry, miss, but the doctor needs to examine him, now that he's awake. ”

Linda nodded and tried to wipe away tears as she spoke to Ray, “ I'll be back, Ray. I love you. ”

She was led into the hall. The bedroom door was closed so that the doctor and the nurse could do their  job. Linda came to Mrs.  Vecchio , “ Ma, I need to go now.  Dief is alone. But I didn't want to leave Ray. ”

“ Don't worry,  _ bambina _ .  We will take care of him. ”

“ Tell him ... ” She couldn't speak anymore and tried again . “ Tell him that I ... ”  her face crumpled and she started bawling again . “O h, Ma ...! ”

Mrs.  Vecchio put he r tenderly in her arms and said, “ Yes, yes, we know. Now go easy,  _ bambina _ . Get some rest, and eat well. Do what I'm saying, eh? Do not argue. ”

“ Ma, I want to take care of Ray ... ”

“ There are a lot of people to take care of him now . Now go take care of yourself. ”

Linda nodded, still crying, and left. Ray was safe, Ray was safe, that was all that mattered. Now Linda had to go home. Diefenbaker depended on her.

** * * * **

The knock on the door was so insistent that Linda was unable to return to her dreams. She struggled up from the bed, staggered from the bedroom to the living room, with an anxious Diefenbaker beside her, who accompanied her every movement. She wasn't even sure she was really awake, but the knocking on the door continued. She couldn't speak, but she unlocked the door.

Linda saw only a red flash. At her door, someone was wearing the red  serge uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The same someone also wore a Stetson hat. Linda's impaired brain could not  stand the vision, however brief it had been. The knees failed, bending. It  sounded like her name was being called, but she couldn't be sure.

She was already on the floor, her senses quickly running away from her.

“Miss Linda?”

The first thing Linda felt was a cold, wet wolf's nose on her neck, and she couldn't move for a second. After that she heard her name being called by a thick, very distant voice. Then there was the smell of chamomile tea. She opened her eyes, and the vision joined her senses. The voice seemed very close now.

“Miss Linda? Can you see me?”

Linda opened her eyes with difficulty and finally recognized the face above hers, “Turnbull ...?”

“Yes, miss, it's me. Oh, my Queen Mum. Are you okay?”

“ Yes, Constable. Sorry if ... I scared you ... ”

“ Why don't you have some tea? ”

Linda got up and sat on the  couch , where Turnbull had obviously taken her. She was also covered with a quilt that he  must have taken out of the closet. Turnbull passed her a  big cup of tea and took care that she didn't spill the hot liqu id. She took a sip and grimaced, “ I  cannot ... ”  she returned the cup to him . “ Thank you ... ”

“What happened, Miss Linda?” He looked very concerned. “Should I take you to a hospital?”

“ Oh, no .” She  jumped to say,  weakly. “ Of course not. Thank you very much, but ... I just ... It's just that I haven't been feeling very well ... Yes, I'm a little sick. But I'll be fine, Constable. ”

Dief barked, and seemed to disagree. Turnbull offered more tea.

“ Here, take some more. ”

She refused, hands shaking.

“ No, thank you. Thanks again. Constable,  may I ask what are you doing here? ”

He blushed and looked embarrassed.

“ Actually, I'm ... I mean, I came on an official mission. Inspector Thatcher is concerned. Constable Fraser hasn't been to the Consulate for days. She heard about Detective  Vecchio ,  and knowing about the connection between the two she said she was willing to make  some concession s , which would be unheard of, but he left no message or  note ... ”

Linda closed her eyes heavily.

“ It's all my fault, Turnbull. In fact, Ben  hasn’t even  been to the hospital to see Ray. He asked me to personally explain to the Inspector that he had to leave suddenly, and I was hoping to get better to do it , but ... Well, I ... ”

Turnbull int errupted her.

“I understand, Miss Linda. Of course, you couldn't leave the house in your present condition. Obviously, without a phone it was also quite difficult to relay the Constable’s message. I'll explain it to the inspector, she'll understand. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital? You seem to be in dire need of a doctor.”

“ I have been medicated, thank you, Constable. It's very kind of you . ”

“ Can I do anything to help?  I could go and buy you some medicine or something. ”

“ It's  so sweet ,  Turnbull , but it won't be necessary.” Linda started to get tired . “ Of course,  if I can impose,  Diefenbaker would appreciate  some  fresh water. I am not in a position to open the refrigerator because of the fever. Would you mind ...? ”

“ Of course not. I'm happy to help. ”

The tall Canadian man went into the kitchen and renewed  Dief's water dish. The wolf did not even move, remaining beside Linda at all times. The girl didn't move either, but it was because she was struggling to stay conscious.

Turnbull came back and was rewarded with Linda's weak smile, her skin pale to the extreme.

“ Thanks for everything, Turnbull. If  you can be kind enough to tell the inspector that I insist on seeing  her in person as soon as I get better ... ”

"Certainly," he said, "and would you know when Constable Fraser would return?"

Linda went even paler.

“ No, I don't ... I don't know how to answer that, Constable Turnbull .” She sighed, exhausted . “ Now, if you can ... please ... ”

Turnbull finally noticed her discomfort.

“ Of course, Miss Linda . I'm sorry I took  so much of your resting time. Please rest well. I wish you a speedy recovery. ”

“ I am very grateful.  I really am , Constable. ”

“Will you be able to lock the door after I leave? ”

“ Yes, I just need to ... regain my strength ... The doctor is also on the way ,” she lied . “ Thank you for everything. ”

“ I'm glad to be able to help.  I wish you a speedy recovery . ”

Turnbull stammered for  her recovery again and when he finally left, Linda sighed, exhausted. Then she got up from the couch, locked the door and crawled over to the bed. Again.


	52. Chapter 52

## Chapter 52

Ray Vecchio was an extremely angry individual when he parked his Buick Riviera in front of Fraser and Linda's apartment. He was furious with his friends, as they hadn't even shown up while he was recovering from the kidnapping. Ray further tried to convince himself that it had not been a painful or long recovery: he had been in the hospital for two days and three more at home until his body had been rid of the drugs his abductors had used. But that was no excuse for neither Ben nor Linda to have shown up – or at least called! They also hadn't left a single message over the phone. Ray swore they were more loyal friends than that. Well, he knew Benny had gone away suddenly, but what about Linda? What was _her_ excuse? 

The Detective went up the steps and knocked on the apartment door. No reply. He knocked again, harder. Same result. Ray decided to take a different path. He put on his most charming Italian smile and knocked on the next door. 

“Mrs. Mutchnik?” He called, as soon as the door opened. “Do you remember me?” 

"Sure," said the smiling old woman, "You are Ben and Linda's detective friend. How are you?” 

“Fine, thank you. Look, Mrs. Mutchnik, I'm getting worried. It's been a while since I heard from them, and now it looks like there's no one at home. Do you know anything?” 

“Actually, young man, do you know that I am getting a little worried myself? It looks like Ben had to leave town last week, and I haven't heard from Linda since, but I was pretty sure she hadn't gone on a trip with him. What worries me is that I think I heard the poor dog in the apartment. He may be hungry.” 

Ray didn't like what he was hearing. He thanked Mrs. Mutchnik, tried to calm her down, and decided it was time for some action. He returned to the couple's apartment and knocked hard, shouting, “Is anyone in there? Linda! Open the door!” 

Finally, an answer. It was a loud bark. Ray was surprised, “Dief? Dief, are you in there?” 

The bark became insistent, and louder. Ray didn't even think twice. He took a few steps back and kicked the door, breaking it open. 

Dief was jumping around insistently, barking at him, and the detective asked, “Dief, are you alone here, boy?” 

Diefenbaker did not stop barking, still jumping. Ray ran into the house and went straight to the bedroom. There was a motionless figure sprawled on the bed. The Italian’s heart almost stopped. 

_Oh my God._

Linda was lying on her back, apparently asleep. He approached carefully. She was breathing, but it was shallow. Ray did not fail to notice that her skin looked grayish, her cheeks sunken, her lips colorless. He tried to call, “Linda?” 

She did not answer, and Ray also thought she would not answer. He sat on the bed and tried to open her eyes, saw the pupils dilate. When he touched her, he noticed that she was cold, her breathing was shallow and irregular. Ray didn't notice, but his heart was racing, and Dief was whining, scratching his front paws on the floor, as if asking for help. 

"Oh sweet Jesus," murmured Ray, pulling the covers aside and trying to locate any injuries to Linda, until now unconscious. There was no injury. But her hands were almost closed, clinging to one of Fraser's red serge tunics. Ray didn't like what he was thinking. 

During the exam, Linda moaned and moved, but she didn't wake up. 

Ray ran to the kitchen and got some water. He noticed that everything seemed untouched, as if there had been no activity there in days. Diefenbaker's bowls were on the floor, next to the stove as usual, but they were empty. 

_My goodness._

The Italian quickly returned to the bedroom and put Linda sitting down, trying to force some water on her lips. Most of the liquid ran down her chin and neck, but at least she woke up. Or almost. 

“Oh ...” 

“Linda” Ray insisted. “Linda, talk to me.” 

She tried to open her eyes, but she was too weak. It was quite an effort. Finally, she fixed her eyes long enough to recognize him, “Ray ...?” 

“Yes, Linda, it's me. Linda, please tell me: what happened?” 

“I am sick, Ray ...” 

“I can see that. Why didn't you call me?” 

“I was ... in bed ...” 

“Linda, you are shaking. And I think you have a fever too. What happened?” 

She closed her eyes, sighing, “I got tired ... I'm so tired, Ray ...” 

“No, you're weak, it's different. Where is Fraser?” 

She did not answer. Ray felt that he had reached a sensitive point. 

“You said he had to travel away. What do you know about that? Where did he go?” 

Linda looked away, and Ray became more and more convinced that there was an explanation. Normally, he would have spared Linda the pain. But the situation was different. He had to pressure her. 

“Linda, you have to tell me. Talk to me, Linda, please.” 

She seemed to squirm, “He went away, Ray ... He didn't come back ...” 

“Yes, I know that.” Ray breathed in, controlling his anxiety not to shout at her. “But where is he?” 

Linda started to cry, “I do not know...” 

A chill ran down Ray's spine. 

“Linda, talk to me. If you don't talk to me, I'll put the entire Chicago police behind him. Something happened to him, didn't it? Was he kidnapped, shot, killed, what? You have to tell me!!” 

She said, tears falling freely down her cheeks, her voice trailing off. 

“He is gone ... He left ...” 

“Yes, yes, I know that. He left, you said before. But I need to know -“ 

Then Linda exploded. 

“He left _me_!!” And she buried her head in her hands, sobbing and repeating. “He left me, Ray! .. He left me! Forever!” 

Ray had never seen such despair in Linda before, even in the most difficult times she had been through. Instinctively, he hugged her, and she plunged into his chest, shivering, crying loudly, trying to wash away a pain as deep as the wound that had caused it. Ray could also feel his Italian temperament starting to boil. He never imagined that he could feel such fury and anger for his best friend (his _former_ best friend, he corrected), and thought of killing Fraser on the spot, as soon as he laid eyes on him again. In fact, he thought about it fervently and graphically. 

“No!” Linda looked up, green eyes tinged with red, puffy. “No, Ray! Please don't kill him! Please, don’t!” 

Had he spoken that out loud? 

“Then talk to me, Linda. It doesn’t make sense. Did he say why he left?” 

“He said,” She gasped and sobbed terribly, “that he didn't ... love me ... That he had ... grown… tired of me ... That he had never loved me ... He loved someone else ... Another person… from his past... That he had always loved her ...” 

The words and hurt that Ray had heard in her voice shattered his Italian heart, and he spoke a few words in Italian that are not in the dictionary, this time very softly. In his head, he tried not to imagine who could be "the other person from the past" Linda had mentioned would be. Unable to control himself, he started to shake in sheer wrath. _That snake ... All she needs to do is call and he goes after her like a puppy ..._

Ray tried to dispel those thoughts, and turned his attention to Linda, taking her hands in his and saying, sincerely, “Oh, Linda ... I'm so sorry ...” 

“Ray…” She snuggled into his arms, still unable to control her sobs and crying, “Ray, if he ... didn't love me ... why did he say ... that he loved me so much? ... He could have… told me... I would have ... understood ...” 

“Linda, did he say where he was going?” 

She shook her head, still in tears, “No ... He left ... his uniforms ... he said ... that I could ... keep them ... and Dief ... I'm sorry ... Ray ... I couldn't ... I just couldn't ... Ray, I ... wanted to, but ... I couldn't ... Forgive me…” 

He tried to console her, “Linda, try to calm down. Take a deep breath. What couldn’t you do?” 

“I couldn't ... see you ... Ray ... In the hospital ... I wanted ... but I got sick ...Forgive me… Please… I'm so sorry ...” 

Ray remembered how he felt as soon as he arrived at the building and felt guilty for being angry with her, but tried to push it away, “You don't have to feel sorry. You had other things to worry.” 

She sobbed in silence for a while, then complained, “I'm so tired ... Ray, I tried ... to forget ... But I got ... so tired ... So tired, Ray ...” 

He kissed her forehead and said, “Look, Linda, you better rest for a while. I need to take care of some things, but I'll be right back, okay?” 

“’K.” 

She lay down on the bed, curled to the red serge jacket like a blanket. Ray waited for a while until her sobs subsided, then left the room. He took out the cell phone in his jacket pocket and dialed the hospital number. 

It took a long time and a lot of talk to convince Dr. Lennyard that, despite her condition, Linda could go with him to the Vecchio house. The psychiatrist diagnosed that she was in a state of pre-shock and severe dehydration, because she had not been eating or drinking for many days. Inactivity was the main reason Linda was not having kidney problems or similar complications, as well as the heat generated by the wolf, which apparently hadn't let go of her all this time. 

Then Ray called his house and alerted his mother to what had happened to Linda. Upon learning that the girl was seriously ill and unable to take care of herself, the Italian mamma began preparations to have her in the house for some time. The guest room would be ready when he arrived with the poor _bambina_. 

Ray also did not forget to speak to Mrs. Mutchnik, explained what had happened and then returned to Linda's house to offer Diefenbaker some water. The poor wolf probably had been also without water or food for as long as Linda. Well, he would have to wait until he reached the Vecchios' house to be properly fed. 

The next step was to prepare some of her clothes to be taken. When Ray entered the closet, he saw two more Fraser’s uniforms. He just shook his head, tried not to think about it, or his blood would boil again. All this time, Ray had to make an effort not to think about what would have really happened to Fraser. The detective was having a hard time believing that he had simply abandoned Linda, walking out on her like some low life in the middle of the night. But Linda would not have lied about that, of course not. Somehow, Fraser had really done that. A lot of people would be disappointed with him. Worse than that, it looked like Victoria was back in his life. Ray knew what that meant: disgrace, misery and suffering for everyone involved. _If pure and incarnate evil exists, it is that woman_ , Ray thought, disgusted. 

The small suitcase he made was already at the Riv and he went back to pick up Linda. She seemed to be asleep, but not resting, and he tried to calm her down, “Okay, Linda, here we go.” 

She moved, but didn't wake up, when he pried her fingers off the red serge tunic and wrapped her in a blanket, noticing that it was no effort to pick her up in his arms. She had really lost a lot of weight. She never regained consciousness, but she moaned a little. Then Ray looked at the ground and called the wolf: 

“Let’s go, pooch.” 

Dief followed him faithfully, and Ray put Linda in the back seat, the wolf going in the front seat of the Riv for the first time. In Chicago, the night was falling and the temperature was dropping. 

*** * ***

In the distance, someone called his name. Linda was feeling very confused, but suddenly something warmed her up, and she almost felt happy. She called, “Benny ...” 

For a very brief moment, a fleeting moment, Linda thought Ben was coming. But then her name was called again, and again, always with great affection. She struggled to open her eyes before slipping into the liquid world that called her. Then the voice seemed close. 

“Linda, please, _carissima_ , it’s me.” 

Linda seemed to recognize the voice, “Mrs. Vecchio?” 

The Italian smiled and looked at her. 

“Hello, _bambina_ ...” 

Linda looked around and saw that she was no longer at home. He recognized the guest room at the Vecchios' house. She grimaced, not knowing how she got to the house. 

“How did I ... end up here?” 

“Raymondo brought you because you couldn't take care of yourself.” The Italian stroked her forehead, and Linda felt so comforted with such a simple gesture. “That was yesterday, and you hadn't woken up all that time.” 

She struggled to get up on her elbows, the world spinning. 

“Oh, no ... I don't want to ... bother ...” 

"Don't even try that," Ma Vecchio warned gently. "It's okay, and you won't be bothering. But you need to eat something. It has to be light. Your stomach won't be able to handle it otherwise.” 

Linda didn't want to eat. But Mrs. Vecchio hadn't raised four children without knowing how to deal with fussy children, so she managed to get Linda to swallow a few spoonfuls of food, then let her rest some more. Eating forced Linda to go to the bathroom, and it forced her to get up, as well as making much of her body work internally. Linda's entire metabolism, which had been totally closed for days, started to respond the same day. 

“Hey.” The bedroom door opened and Linda saw Ray smiling at her. “How are you, sweetie?” 

She almost smiled, and Ray was pained to see the eyes sunk amid the skin and bones in what had been her radiant face before. She shrugged. 

“I think I'm better.” 

“You look better,” he lied. “Can I come in?” 

“Please, Ray.” He obeyed and sat on her bed. “Are you okay?” 

“Me? I'm going back to the precinct in two days.” 

Linda was not very interested in dealing with her own problems and asked, “Ray, can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course yes.” 

“I was wondering. Nobody told me what happened to you. You just vanished, we were all so worried, but I still don't know what happened. Who did that?” 

He shook his head. 

“There is not a clue. I was going to meet Martha when I saw what looked like someone trying to break into the Riv. I screamed, the guy ran away, I ran after him, and then someone suddenly knocked me over from behind. I was drugged and after that I just remember waking up in the hospital, looking at you. An anonymous tip gave my location from a paid phone. The person who gave us the tip was 100% right. The Riv had been found before, completely clean.” 

“But you weren't hurt, were you? They said you were fine.” 

“No, I was not really hurt, just drugged, hammered and spaced out. They said I had been on drugs for days. My body was very sore.” 

"We were so worried," Linda shivered. “Everyone in the district worked long hours trying to find you. You should have seen how hard Ben was for –“ 

Suddenly she stopped, the pain in her chest coming back, tears once again congesting her eyes and nose. She lowered her head. Ray took her hand. 

“It's all right, Linda. You can talk about him.” 

“I know you're mad at him, Ray. But he is your friend. He tried to find you in every way, Ray,” she said. “He did everything he could.” 

“I already figured out all that. Jack had told me at the hospital. Of course, at that time, everyone thought he had gone on a trip for the Consulate.” 

_The Consulate._

That made Linda jump: 

“Oh my God! The Consulate ...! I ... I should have gone to see Inspector Thatcher ...! I promised Turnbull that I would go personally. This is important.” 

Ray said, “Well, you can't go now. You are very weak. Look, I can personally call the Dragon Woman and tell her that, maybe ask her to come over here. Is that good?” 

Linda nodded, embarrassed, “I suppose so. I ... had a paper to give her ... But I think I lost it...” 

“A paper?” 

“Ben gave me some kind of document before ... leaving.” She still couldn't say the words. “I was kind of confused, so ... I think I lost it. I don't really remember what it was ... He told me, but I ... forgot ...” 

Ray said. “Linda, I know this is difficult for you, but I need to know. You need to tell me exactly what happened. How did it happen? Where was this? You two had a fight?” Linda lowered her head, tears already rolling. Ray insisted, "Linda, I'm sorry to have to ask for this. But I need to know. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. Believe me.” 

She nodded, and Ray thought it best to bring the tissue box close to her. She sighed, “Okay, Ray. I will tell you.” 

And so she told her tale. 


	53. Chapter 53

## Chapter 53

_ * Linda was very excited that night when she entered Chandler's, the greasy little bar that was opposite the night school. Ray had just been found and Fraser was there, which probably meant that Linda was going to miss her last class so she could visit the detective at the hospital where he had been taken. There were not many details about Ray's release yet, and Linda was extremely curious. She was so excited that she could barely control herself.  _ _ She went straight to Fraser’s  _ _ arms, almost _ _ jumping _ _ with joy _ _. _

_ “Did you hear it _ _? D _ _ id _ _ you hear _ _ it _ _ , Ben? _ _ ” _

_ He didn' _ _ t smile and got rid of her arms. _

_ “ _ _ I  _ _ take it _ _ you already knew about Ray. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ And we're going to the hospital right now, right? I mean, that's why you came, isn't it? _ _ ” _

_ Fraser was not smiling, and Linda saw his backpack on the other bench in the _ _ diner’s _ _ booth. _

_ Martha noticed that Fraser was staring at her, hat in hand, a backpack and the sleeping bag on the booth bench. So s _ _ he knew it was necessary to say, “ _ _ Er _ _ ... I'll talk to you later. _ _ ” _

_ Fras _ _ er said, “ _ _ Thank you very much, Martha _ _.” _ _ The girl turned to go, and still heard _ _ ,  _ _ “ _ _ Linda, sit down. We have to talk. _ _ ” _

_ Martha went to the booth across the bar to chat with her colleagues. Fraser waited until the girl had left and Linda was sitting down to say _ _ , “ _ _ I came to tell you that I'm leaving. _ _ ” _

_ His face  _ _ had a serious look _ _ , Linda noticed. And she couldn't remember ever seeing him like t _ _ his before. Linda was surprised. _

_ “ _ _ Leaving? Where _ _ are you going _ _? _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ Still do not know. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ And when are you coming back? _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ I will not  _ _ return _ _ ,” _ _ he _ _ said _ _ in a _ _ dry voice _ _. “ _ _ I am leaving you. _ _ ” _

_ Linda stopped talking and her mouth remained slightly open for a few seconds. Before she even had a chance to ba _ _ bble, Fraser continued to speak, “ _ _ This _ _ ” _ _ he took an envelope from _ _ a pocket inside _ _ his coat and put it on the tabl _ _ e, “ _ _ is my RCMP resignation letter. I want you to personally deliver it to Inspector Thatcher at the first opportunity. I am also leaving Diefenbaker, so that you can take care of him. _ _ ” _

_ Linda looked at the envelope, unable to believe what her ears brought to her. She  _ _ stared _ _ at Ben's face, looking for a trace of a joke or  _ _ something like that _ _. There was none. There was also no sign of compassion or tenderness. He was  _ _ deadly  _ _ serious, and that caused her s _ _ pine to feel a series of light tremors. _

_ “ _ _ Ben ... _ _ ”? Her voice failed. “ _ _ Ben ... Please talk to me ... _ _ ” _

_ He sighed, looking bored. _

_ “ _ _ Look, my first impulse was to  _ _ simply  _ _ leave, without saying anything. That was what I would have liked to do, because it would avoid a scene. I don't want any scandal _ _ or drama _ _. Don't beg me to stay, don't try to change my mind. I made my de _ _ cision and I don't want  _ _ little scene _ _ s from you _ _. If you do one,  _ _ I am _ _ out  _ _ of here  _ _ right now. _ _ ” _

_ Linda's eyes widened, and her head started to  _ _ shrink _ _. She did not believe what was happening, nor the person in front of her, a total stranger, cold and insensitive. _

_ But Ben had said he didn't want scandals. She managed ( _ _ even though it seemed impossible) to gather energy to ask, “Why _ _...? _ _ ” _

_ Once again, he sig _ _ hed, annoyed, and avoided looking at her. _

_ “ _ _ I don't know how you have the  _ nerve _ to ask me that question. _ _ But I will tell you. _ _ I realized that I don't love you. I  _ never _ loved you. I was just wasting my time, and I don't want to  _ _ do that anymore _ _. _ _ ” _ _ He stopped, gave a half smile _ _. “ _ _ Sure, you were an interesting fuck _ _ for a while _ _ , but now I can't  _ _ stand the sight of _ _ you around  _ _ me  _ _ anymore. You  _ _ disgust _ _ me. _ _ You hurt me.” _

_ Never, ever, had Linda heard such terrible words from Ben. Worse, she had never seen so much bitterness or anger in the voice that she loved so much. Even before she realized it, tears were streaming down her face, and sh _ _ e seemed to cringe in her chair. _

_ “ _ _ I ... I'm sorry, Ben. _ _ ” _

_ Maybe he wasn't even trying, but Fraser didn't avoid the expression of d _ _ isgust and  _ _ repulsion _ _ when he said, “ _ _ Now it's too late for that. I don't know what made me believe  _ _ that I could even like you. Perhaps this disease of yours is contagious, and I was infected for some time. But now I can see things clearly. You are a weird _ _ o _ _ ,  _ _ a freak,  _ _ and you belong in the  _ _ nuthouse _ _ ,  _ _ from  _ _ where you should never have left. No wonder you didn't understand why I was with you. You kept asking me that yourself, you always said you were crazy, and you were right. Besides, I found out that I love someone else.  _ _ A woman from my past _ _. At least, she is normal. I've always loved her. _ _ ” _

_ Linda had her head down, embarrassed, feeling every word he spoke hit her like a whip _ _ lash. She managed to say, “ _ _ I ... I never wanted to hurt you, Ben ... Believe me ... Please ... You need to believe ... I never meant to hurt you ... _ _ ” _

_ “Well, now _ _ you  _ _ will not hurt me _ _ anymore. You will stay away from  _ _ me; _ _ do you _ _ understand? Don't look for me, don't try to follow me. Did you hear me? _ _ ” _

No scandal, _ she repeated _ _ internally _ _. She felt it was someone else usin _ _ g her body to speak. _

_ “ _ _ Yes _ _ … _ _ I'm sorry I caused you so much pain, Ben. I would like ... to fix this ... _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ I want you to tell Ray that I wish I had said goodbye to him too, but because of  _ you _ , I won't be able to do that. Because of  _ you _ , Linda. _ _ ” _ _ That had a very special pain in her heart _ _. “ _ _ Ray is a good friend, and I will miss him. Tell him that. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ Yes, Ben. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ You'll find that I left  _ _ my _ _ uniforms in the apartment. I will not go back to get them.  _ _ So don’t you raise _ _ any hope of  _ _ ever  _ _ seeing me again. I don't intend to ever  _ _ come _ _ back to Chicago, but if I ever do that, don't look for me, because I never want to see you again. You may not even be thinking of looking for me, but if I suspect you are and if I see you for any reason, I will have you  _ _ committed to the funny farm in _ _ the blink of an eye,  _ _ do you  _ _ understand? _ _ ” _

_ She nodded, snifflin _ _ g, her heart bleeding profusely. _

_ “ _ _ Yes, Ben, I understand. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ Finally. As  _ _ usual _ _ , you take _ _ a long _ _ time to understand things. _ _ You are really slow, freak. _ _ Now I need to go. I wasted more time than I intended on you. And I've already wasted too much of my life with you. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ Yes, Ben. I ... _ _ ” _ _ She wanted to say something, but didn't know what she could say that didn't  _ _ aggravate _ _ him even more. He was certainly very angry with her.  _ _ “ _ _ I ... wish you ... good luck. Can I ... do something else for you? _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ Yes. Get out of my life. Forever. _ _ ” _

_ It made her feel like a dagger  _ _ was sunk _ _ deep in her soul. _

_ Fraser _ _ picked up _ _ his _ _ Stetson and adjusted the backpack on his back, as well as the sleeping bag. He stopped what he was doing just to warn her again, his _ _ blue eyes cruel in the extreme, “ _ _ Don't try to follow me. Go back to your retarded class, and stay away from me, away from my life. You will regret it if you don't do as I  _ _ say _ _. _ _ ” _

_ Fraser's eyes on Linda cut her like laser beams. Strangely, when he  _ _ adjusted _ _ his hat on his head and turned to go, she didn't shed a tear. The whole world was spinning upside down, her head was throbbing and the walls seemed to close over her. Stranger still, it didn't seem to hurt that much. Deep wounds never start with much pain, unlike small scratches and paper cuts. _

_ Then Fraser left. Linda  _ _ felt like she was in a strange kind of dream. _

This is not happening. This is not true. It can't be happening ,  _ she thought _ _. _

_ Martha saw Fraser leaving and was forced to go to Linda, who seemed extremely distracted, picking up her book _ _ s and getting up from the table, “Linda _ _?  _ _ Are you all _ _ right? _ _ ” _

_ All the girl said was, “ _ _ Let's go back. Classes are about to start. _ _ ” _

_ Even  _ _ her _ _ voice sounded different, Martha  _ _ realized. It was low. She asked, “ _ _ But ... I thought you were going to the hospital to see Ray. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ I  _ _ will _ _. After school. Benny asked me not to miss classes. _ _ ” _

_ “ _ _ Is he going to the hospital? _ _ ” _

_Linda did not answer Martha's question, and went back to the classroom. She did_ _everything_ _exactly_ _as Fraser had asked her to do. *_ *

** * * * **

At the end of her  tale , Linda was curled up in Ray's arms, crying openly in the guest room of the  Vecchios ' house. The Italian was even more hurt by everything he had heard from the girl. The things Fraser had said to Linda were unbelievabl y cruel . He almost thought Linda might even be lying. But he knew that Linda would not lie to him about what had happened.

Ray let Linda cry a lit tle, and then he  picked up a tissue for her, as he asked, “ Why did you stay at your  place , Linda? You almost  died there . ”

“ I ... ” Linda blew her nose on a tissue, trying to breathe better.  “ I wanted to ... smell him...  His smell ... is still at the  apartment ... on the bed ... the uniforms ... the pillows ... And then ... after ...  that… well, I… I started to get  so  confused .. . and I felt cold, Ray, so cold ... I miss him, Ray ...! I miss him…  _ so _ much…! ”

“ Yes, I miss him , too. But now you better try to get some rest.  You are still weak. ”

She sniffed loudly and nodded, too tired to protest, her eyes red, her head throbbing again. Diefenbaker (who was always by her side) yelped softly when Ray put her back to bed and  tuck her under the covers. Then he said, “ I'll bring  you  some juice. ”

“ No, thanks, Ray. ”

“ The  doctor said you need to take it,”  he insisted gently . “ It's  sort of  like medicine, okay? You need to take it. ”

She would do whatever Ray  told  her , even if she didn't want to. Then she nodded, and he left the room. She grabbed her legs and burst into tears. Diefenbaker climbed on the bed and ducked under the covers with her . Linda was happy that the wolf was there. Tired as she was, she hugged him tightly, her heart broken somehow more comforted  just by the moral support the wolf gave her.

** * * * **

The next day, Linda received a  surprise visit . In fact, she received two visits that day, but the first one was truly a surprise. She tried to adjust herself on the bed into a proper sitting position as soon as she saw who it was, all the color running from her cheeks.

“ Oh my God, Inspector Thatcher ... I'm so sorry ... ”

“ Please don't sit  up, Miss Lyme.”  The elegant, well-dressed woman looked kinder than Linda remembered, when she sat down next to Linda's bed . “ I was told you were still very weak, but you were anxious to talk to me. ”

“ I am honored that you came, inspector ,” said Linda. “ I should  have gone to the Consulate, but I couldn't. ”

“ Yes, Constable Turnbull told me  you have a message from Constable Fraser. ”

Linda was as red as she could be, h er skin still pale, “ Actually, inspector, he handed me a paper . In an envelope , but ... I think I lost it. I'm so sorry. ”

The inspector smiled, and for the first time, Linda felt it was a real smile, not a diplomatic smile, one trained for any kind of diplomatic, social or police occasion.

“ Detective  Vecchio told me it was a letter of resignation. Since Fraser never returned to work, his dismissal will be automatic after a certain period of absence. But it can be a  way . ”

Linda didn't understand.

“A way of what?”

“A way of saving his career. ”

Linda was extremely puzzled. The Inspector explained as if she were a child, “Miss Lyme , you may not have realized, but in fact you may have helped Fraser, and a lot, by losing  his resignation letter. ”

“ I have… ?”

“ Yes. See, if he had resigned  to  me, he would  have been out of RCMP in a matter of days , an administrative act . But now he is just absent without a  leave . For all practical purposes, he has disappeared, and we don't know what happened to him. We can consider him missing. ”

Linda still didn't understand what was going on.

“ But we know what happened to him. He left, inspector. ”

“ Not the way I see it. He left his wolf and his uniforms. Who can say if he did not intend to return? Or if he left of his own free will? ”

“ I can, because he told m e.” But then Linda finally understood . “ But I shouldn't  tell you that, should I? ”

Thatcher's smile widened further.

“ Now you understand. ”

“ But inspector, isn’t this ... ”

The Inspector interrupted her,  “ M y superiors are in Ottawa, Miss Lyme. Too far for anyone to care. With Fraser's reputation, they  may not even  _ want _ to care . ”

“ Please call me Linda ,” asked the girl . “ I don't like being called by the other name. ”

“ Then you must call me  Margaret – or just  Meg. ”

Linda was  quite touched – even shocked – , but  she  obeyed, “ Right ... Meg. ”

The Inspector went on,  “ As I said, being so far away, my superiors would also  have tremendous difficulty in verifying  the real  state of things . With  a formal, written resignation, Fraser would lose all the benefits of  almost 20 years of dedication to the force. ”

Linda lowered her head, “ And it's all my fault. I did not realize the harm I  was doing to him.  He was right.  I really don't know how to do anything right. ”

It was Meg Th atcher's turn not to understand.

“ What are you talking about, Linda? ”

“ Ben ... I mean, Constable Fraser .” She corrected herself . “ He left the RCMP and Chicago because of me. He said that I hurt him. ”

“He said you hurt him? How can it be? You looked  fine , and he  seemed to be very happy. ”

“Actually, I don't know how, but everything is my fault.” Meg realized that the girl was very, very sad, depressed and confused. “But I'm quite happy that I can at least help him. If I can do anything for you, inspect– I mean, Meg – please tell me. I can clean the Consulate, or your house, wash your car. Anything.”

Meg smiled.

“ It won't be necessary. We will be keeping an eye out for any news about Fraser. If he tries to leave the country, we can catch him. Then you  will be able to see him again . ”

“ No, please don't do that! ” Linda pl eaded, startling the Canadian. “H e specifically asked me to  _ never _ see him again, or ever look for him. Please, he seemed very serious about this. I don't want to upset  him any more than I already did, not at all. Please tell me you will not do this. ”

The inspector took on  the diplomat's mask by ensuring, “It’s all right, Linda . Let me tell you what we can do. We can just stick with the plan and try to help Fraser. What do you think? ”

Linda was eager to help, “ It's  OK . Thank you very, very much. Thanks a lot. ”

“ No, Linda, I have to thank  _ you _ for saving Fraser's career. It is a career worth saving. ”

Linda tried to smile, and then the inspector left. But not before  the Canadian had a long , private,  sincere conversation with  Detective  Vecchio .

The second visit that Linda received was that of Dr.  Lennyard , at the end of the day. That was very painful. The psychiatrist saw that Linda was on the verge of  a  severe depression. They talked for about 40 minutes and by then Linda had already cried so hard that she was exhausted. The doctor asked her to rest, and he went downstairs, where Ray was waiting anxiously for him, his mother  at his side. Dr.  Lennyard announced, “ She is  asleep now , and frankly she needs to rest . Can I talk to you for a minute? ”

Mamma  Vecchio made them sit in the living room while she poured coffee for the doctor and Ray. Dr.  Le nnyard sighed and Ray confessed, “ We are very concerned, doctor. We don't know what to do. ”

“ What you have done so far looks very good. I wasn't quite sure I did the right thing by leaving her here instead of taking her to the hospital. Normally, in a situation like this, I would have already admitted her. Now I am convinced that staying here  is the best for her. ”

Ray allowed himself a small sigh of relief.  The psychiatrist shook his head.

“ But I won't lie to you. Linda is on the verge of a huge regression in her process. The fact that she has not closed herself off in a catatonic state and is surrounded by understanding people who love her very much are the only two positive aspects of the whole situation. She is lucky to have you, or she would have surely returned to the institution by now. ”

Ma  Vecchio crossed hims elf and said, “ We will not let that happen, sir. She's family to us . ”

Dr.  Lennyard enjoyed the good coffee in his hands and said, “Linda is more than merely depressed, Mrs.  Vecchio . She feels guilt, self-hatred and helplessness. She does not even allow herself to be angry at what Fraser has done, and redirects all the anger to herself in the form of guilt. Her self-esteem was never very high to begin with, and at that very moment, it seems to be shattered. From what you told me, Detective  Vecchio , the way Constable Fraser broke the romance was tailored to enhance Linda's many traumas. It seemed that he knew exactly where it would hurt most for Linda and attacked precisely those points.”

“Doctor,” Ray was careful with his words, “I have a question. Can Linda be lying? I mean, could this be a fantasy? Perhaps she exaggerates when she is depressed, or something?”

The psychiatrist shook his head, “No, Linda has no history of embellishing stories or to resort to fantasies to hide her traumas. She always tells the truth. Sometimes she distorts the truth, like the ghosts who came in the sleep to harm her, but there is always a foundation on true facts. Why do you ask, detective?”

“I am having such a hard time believing Fraser actually said those words to Linda. You don’t know him, doc. I mean, he  _ really  _ loves her. I have seen the effect Fraser has over women, but women don’t usually affect him as much. Linda was the first to touch him so deeply. He even talked about taking procedures to their marriage, a few weeks ago. I think Linda is the love of his life. And now he tells all those horrible things to her? I think something’s fishy.”

“But didn’t this woman mean a great deal to Constable Fraser before? They have a past, don’t they? It may not be typical of what you know of your friend, but love can make people act in extreme ways. Perhaps he realized that this other lady was really the one he could envision himself growing old with. And he took off in fear of missing what he perceived as the only opportunity to love intensely.”

Mrs. Vecchio made an expression of disgust, “I don’t know the woman and I don’t like her. She almost ruined Benito and Raymondo’s lives!” She gestured as if she was going to spit on the ground. “And now she ruins Linda’s life, my poor  _ bambina _ .” 

Ray told the doctor, “Linda told Inspector Thatcher that she is guilty of everything that’s happening. The inspector was shocked.”

“Yes, I noticed that many of her words sounded like self-destructive, “answered Dr.  Lennyard . “That whole week that she spent alone, without food or drink, can be considered an unconscious form of suicide.”

Ma  Vecchio murmure d, making the sign of the cross, “ _ Santa Maria Madre  _ _ Dio _ _. _ _ ” _

The doctor hurried t o add, “ It is highly unlikely that she will try anything against  her own life directly. So, once she's strong enough to go out side , I recommend walking,  and  playing with the kids in the house. I saw her dedication to  look after the wolf, so she should be encouraged to do so. I'll talk to her later about going back to work. For now, she can consider herself on sick leave. ”

“ So ,” Ray wanted to know , “ should we talk about what happened? Or avoid talking about it? ”

“ No, avoiding the subject can delay the process. She needs to deal with what happened. I know it's hard for Linda, but she needs to realize in the first place that it wasn't her fault. She won't hear it at first, and it will be very difficult. You will need to be patient. I would not recommend taking her to the apartment, unless she explicitly asks to go there. It may be a sign that she is ready to deal with this. ”

"I'm going to get more clothes from her tomorrow," Ray announced, "but it might be a good idea to wash them first."

“ Because? ”

“ She says she can smell Fraser on clothes, on  the  bed, everywhere. I think she's overreacting, but with Benny we never know. ”

“ Believe me,  Raymondo , she can smell him, yes ,” said Mrs.  Vecchio gently. “ When your father died, his smell stayed in the house for months. ”

"Your mother is right," said Dr.  Lennyard .  “ The process that Linda is going through is very similar to mourning the loss of a  spouse or any loved one . It was very sudden for her, and apparently there was no warning. There was also the tension about  your own disappearance ,  Detective,  prior to that . It was too much for her at once. Especially since it is quite possible that she may still believe she is pregnant. ”

Ray felt that his chin was touching the table. Ma Vecchio gasped, her hands to her mouth, eyes wide.

“ _ Madonna! _ ”

“ But ... she didn't  tell me ...! ” Ray added. “ Nobody  said anything ! My God, is she ... is  she ...? ”

Dr.  Lennyard was quick to  correct , “ No, no, she's not pregnant, detective.  She had symptoms, but the tests showed only a hormonal imbalance. It can be corrected with remedies. The doctor who examined  her sent me the prescription. ”

Ray wanted to know, “ Speaking of which, doctor, wouldn't something be good for her sadness too? She is so nervous. ”

The doctor agreed, “ I'm going to  prescribe something for that as well . It is light, but necessary. I ’ll need to see  her once a week,  if possible . ”

Ray nodded and said, “ Thanks for everything, doctor. I would  really  like to thank you. I know we've had our differences in the past, but ... ”

Dr.  Lennya rd interrupted him, standing up, “ Detective,  you are Linda's friend. Now she needs friends more than she needs a doctor. I am not stupid to deny this. You have my numbers, and you can call me anytime, day or night. Here is the prescription for the medicine. She must take one pill a day for the first four days, then take two. ”

Mrs.  Vecchio said, “ Thank you,  _ Dottore _ . Rest assured we will take good care of our  _ bambina _ . ”

“ Oh, I'm sure, Mrs.  Vecchio .  I’ll be in touch.  Good evening. ”

Ray took the doctor to the car and asked  a few  more questions about Linda's condition, some of which he didn't want to ask in front of his mother. When the doctor left, Ray was still thinking about the answers he had gotten.


	54. Chapter 54

## Chapter 54

Linda  felt very weak. Sudden movements made her dizzy, so she only moved slowly. She couldn't  handle standing  up  too long either, so she preferred not to venture out of the room too much, at least for now. Not that she was very interested in anything. She hardly cared if she was alive or dead, but she still felt strong enough to be kind to her hosts. It was only because of the  Vecchios that she made  any effort to eat and walk at all .

She felt exhausted, so she lay in bed, lying motionless,  Dief at her feet on the bed. The wolf proved to be a constant and loyal companion, as well as an attentive guardian. Linda knew it , but she couldn't quite imagine exactly how many times Diefenbaker had saved her life in the past few days.

Suddenly, the wolf raised its head and growled very quietly, but the sound came out loud in the silent room.  Linda lifted her head and asked, “ Dief , what is it? ”

The animal made a quick w oof and Linda guessed, “ Do you want to go outside? ”

Strange, because the door was always half open or leaning.

Without waiting for the wolf to respond, Linda slowly rose from the bed to open the door for him. Instead of flying downstairs as he always did, Diefenbaker left the room and started barking at the stairs. Curious about the animal's reaction, Linda left the room. At the top of the stairs, Fraser was staring at her.

She looked at his face.

Linda did not take the vision seriously. It couldn't be true. It was her imagination, again, another trick that her mind liked to  play at her usually at night, when she thought he was lying with her, in bed, warming  her cold back. She could almost feel the strong, warm arms hugging her from behind. But it was only  her imagination, a memory that persisted in  her body.

She just went back to the room, feeling even more  depressed than before. She turned her back on that ghost on the stairs without thinking twice. Tired, she collapsed on the bed, and had to make an effort not to cry. She still felt that all the pain in her chest would never go away, despite everything Ray and Ma told her. Dr.  Lennyard had also said that the medicine would soon  kick in , and she would feel better. It didn't  feel that way .

“ Linda . ”

She looked up. The vision had followed her into the room. She looked at the image of Fraser, physical pain slicing through his chest. She was so weak that she couldn't even yell at the ghost, or ask him to leave her alone. Fraser crossed the doorway to the bed and sat down beside her. For a moment, the girl was in doubt.

“ Are you real? ”

He looked devastated.

“ Linda, please. Talk to me. ”

Lin da couldn't believe h er eyes. “ Ben? ”

“Yes, Linda, it's me.” His blue eyes were  filled with tears , his face  frowning , his pale skin even whiter with pure anguish . “ I came back, Linda. I came back to you. ”

“ But ... ”

“ I lied, Linda ,” h e said softly . “ I can't live without you. Pl ease take me back. If you don't , I... I think I will die. ”

“ Oh, Ben ... ”

Linda did not remember moving, but she felt herself being embraced by two strong, warm arms, and soon she was sobbing in his chest, the pain washing away in tears.

"I'm so sorry, my love, I'm so sorry," said Ben, his voice full of emotion. "I said horrible things to you, and I  can’t explain what happened, but now it's o ver. It's  all  gone, I'm here, and I love you so much.

“ Benny ... I missed you so much. ”

“ I missed you too,  my love . You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't know how I was able to treat you that way. Ray just told me that you saved my career in the RCMP . ”

Linda was embarrassed. “I ... just ... Actually ... it was an ... accident. ”

“ You saved me. I feel so bad for everything that happened, Oh, Linda, I love you so much. Will you ever be able to forgive me for what I did? I know it's only been  a couple of weeks, but it must have been very difficult. You must have been very hurt. And I'll make it up to you somehow for everything,  sweetheart , I swear. I promise you, my love, trust me. Please take me back. ”

How could she even think of not accepting him?

“ Benny ... ”

But something caught her eye at the door. There was a woman there, a very beautiful woman, standing, looking at them both completely silent, eyes shining. Ben seemed to shudder when he saw her there. He gently separated himself from Linda, and turned to the woman, his voice so dry it co uld have been used in a martini.

“What do you want? Get out of here.”

“ I can't do that, Ben .” The woman's voice was as beautiful as she was. As  sizzling as the attractive, sparkling eyes that looked with desire at Ben . “ I am the woman of your life. You cannot deny that. ”

“ I made a mistake. Go away. You belong to my past. ”

Linda's eyes widened.  So, this was the mysterious woman in Ben's life. She was really beautiful, could have been a model or actress, with that long brown hair and perfect nose. Linda had no chance compared to her beauty. It was no wonder that Benny had fallen in love with the woman. She was stunning.

And dangerous.

“ Please go away ,” insisted Fraser. “ I don't want to see you  again .  _ Neve _ _ r _ again.”

The woman looked at Linda, then turned to Ben again , emotionlessly, and replied, “ In that case ... I'm sorry, my love. ”

She drew a gun.

Linda reacted on impulse and jumped out of bed, threw herself in front of  Ben in slow motion, the way these things always seem to ha ppen in dreams, screaming.

“ BENNY !! ”

Then a loud noise pierced her ears, and she couldn't see anything else, but the voice kept screaming, calling Ben's name over and over ...

Her voice was drowned out by another, who now called her name over and over, and her trembling body seemed to be surrounded by strong arms. It was a big mess, sensations and noises that confused and Linda could not distinguish any of them. S he finally recognized the words.

“ Linda, wake up! It's just a nightmare, Linda! Linda, wake up! ”

One of the noises stopped:  the voice that called Ben over and over – it was her own voice . She was panting, sitting on the bed, her body drenched in sweat, Ray in pajamas trying to wake her up, other members of the  Vecchio clan right behind them, all contributing to a great commotion in the middle of the night.

So ... everything had just been a dream.

Wrapped up on her own emotions, Linda had not yet fully realized that fact, and t ried to explain, still agitated, “ Ben ...! She was going to shoot him! ... He was here, Ray! ... He was here ...! ”

“ It was just a dream, Linda .” Ray caressed her gently. “ It was a bad dream. It's  all over now. It’s OK . ”

“ I could feel  him ...! ” Linda was so distressed, her face pale as if it were made of wax, her eyes huge, tears streaming down her  face. “ I could feel  him here , Ray ...! ”

Ray just hugged her. 

“ Shh .... Everything will be fine, Linda, it will be. Try to calm down, okay? ”

“ Ray ... ” Linda sank into his chest, clinging to him . “ I felt him  here…! He was…  with me, Ray ...! ”

“ No , sweetheart . It was just a dream ... ”

“ I miss him so much ...! Oh, Ray ... How am I going  to ... How am I going to live without him? "

Ray had no answer to that.

Maria gently wiped a cloth over her face, and Ma  Vecchio placed a glass of water in her hand, while Ray helped her to drink. Her heart was still racing, and she could barely  breathe properly, the sobs making her choke. Ray quickly shooed the rest of the  Vecchio family out of the room, and Diefenbaker was finally able to get close to his  protégé .

There wasn't much Ray could do but try to calm her down, and get her back to sleep. It took time, of course, before she  could even breath normally again. Ray stayed with her in his arms, stroking her back just as he had done with his nephews and nieces when they were babies. Later, Linda was half-asleep, clinging to Ray as if her life depended on it. He ended up spending the rest of the night in her room, watching her sleep and even napping a little. Fortunately, Linda managed to get some rest that night. Ray, on the contrary, was becoming increasingly uneasy. But he was strangely hoping to gather facts, first, only to start acting later.

The days Linda spent at the  Vecchio house began to  stretch longer than the girl initially thought. She grew  physically  stronger in a few days, and the new medicine helped her a little, although she was still very quiet and cried a lot. But she was unable to refuse any request from the  Vecchios .

In a matter of days, she found herself helping Ma with the housework, and also taking care of the children, doing simple things like putting them to sleep or watching them play outside so they wouldn't leave the house.  Dief was  her constant companion, and  Frannie would also help her hang out with Diefenbaker when Ray couldn't.

Getting Linda out of the house for an evening show took longer than Ray first imagined, but eventually she agreed. They went to the  movies , and Ray saw that Linda was trying to hide her tears during the  screening . Since the  flick was a comedy, it was obvious that she was not paying any attention. He was devastated, but kept silent. They returned home, and Linda thanked Ray so politely for  his attention. She was becoming extremely dependent on the Italian.


	55. Chapter 55

## Chapter 55

Linda was certainly very grateful for the company, but she found it strange that Francesca had been bothering her all day just to take Diefenbaker for a long walk and exercise. In fact,  Frannie had noticed some signs in Linda some time ago. The smart Italian girl knew her "borrowed" sister well enough to know that she wanted to talk, but she wouldn't open up to Ray  or to Ma. Perhaps out of shame. Maria was also eternally busy with the children, and perhaps the girl needed a conversation between sisters.

However, Linda was unable to be rude to Frannie. Even though she was not interested in exercise, she told Frannie, as they walked towards the park, “Thanks for the help, Francesca. Dief may not appreciate it, but exercise will be good for him.”

The wolf yelped in response, and Linda  reprimanded, “Now, that is not a nice attitude,  Dief . Who did you learn it from? ” A short bark . “ Ray? Oh. Anyway, believe me, someday, you will thank  Frannie for what she's doing. ”

The wolf ignored her. The Italian girl smiled and said, “ It's so nice to have another sister in the house. I mean at least one that is not involved all the time with babies and pregnancy. I love Maria, you know, but I would like to have another sister  I can  talk  about  other things, you know? ”

Linda  turned to her, genuinely concerned, “ Frannie , is something wrong?  Do you need help ? Perhaps I can help you.”

She smiled, “ Actually, Linda, that's what I was trying to ask you. You n ever talked about what happened with Frasier. It is good to  let things out. If you want to speak, I'm here to listen. ”

Linda felt a pain in her heart when she heard Frannie's words. Fraser's absence hurt a lot, and it felt like a wound so intense and deep that it would never close. The girl did not stop walking, but she lowered her head and voice in such a way that it was just a stammering murmur, an unbelievable effort to keep the pain inside her chest and out of her voice,  “I ... It's just ... I mean ... There's not much ... to say ...”

Frannie said, “ Of course there is much to say . If it had happened to me, I would have a  _ lot _ to say. For example, how do you feel? Are you angry at Fraser? I am  _ so _ disappointed in him.  Aren’t you? ”

Linda lifted her head and said, “ No,  Frannie ,  please,  don't be disappointed. He just did what he thought was right. ”

“ Ah, Linda,  you are really nice, but  don't give me that. Dismissing you like that? It was totally unnecessary. The least he could  have done was try to make things better. Do you know what I mean? He could have talked to you, trying to save what you guys had. He didn't do that. He just ...  took off! I expected much more from him. ”

“I see,” Linda said. “But it's just ... He told me that ... he couldn't take it anymore ... He couldn't –“  She couldn't finish, so she tried it differently. “If it was so hard for him, then... it makes sense that he wanted to get away from everything as quickly as possible.”

Francesca started to get shocked. “Linda, he _played_ with your feelings. He made you believe that he had feelings about you, and then he said he had never had those feelings. Aren't you mad at him?”

“ No, no!  Frannie , all I want is for him to be very happy ,” Linda said sincerely. “I  thought I could ... make  him happy. It is clear now that this was not how he felt. My feelings are not important. ”

Now Francesca felt like she could explode.

“ See, Linda? That's why Fraser managed to get away with this. You don't fight for yourself. You have rights!  He treated  you  very badly, and  you don’t seem to realiz e it. ”

Then, Linda could no longer contain her tears, while Francesca  kept going on and on and on . Even Diefenbaker was walking and leaning his head on Linda's thigh, whining softly as the girl cried without making a single noise, her heart breaking. It took some time, but when Ray's sister finally realized that Linda was in tears, she s topped talking and was startled, “Linda ? Oh my God, Linda, what is it? ”

The girl tried to breathe and respond, una ble to face  Frannie , “ I ... It's just ... that ... ”

“ Oh my God, Linda. You're scaring me! First try to breathe, then you can talk. Breathe in , please, yes, just like that! ”

Linda obeyed, and finally m anaged to stammer through tears.

“I- I ... hurt  him ,  Frannie ... It was the last thing I wanted ... but that's what I did ... And the worst ... is that I don't even ... I don't even know  _ how _ I did it ... ! ”

They had arrived at the park, and  Frannie had Linda sit down so that she could hug her and let her cry. Linda really  cried a lot, sometimes even loudly and without bothering  about doing it  in public.  Frannie gave her tissues and waited until the sobs subsided before loo king at her and smiling, saying, “There you go. Does it feel  better? ”

Linda didn't want to lie, b ut tried to smile, her eyes puffy an extremely red.

“ Thank you, Francesca.  I am sorry about that . ”

“And now you apologize ? Why are you apologizing? For having feelings? Everyone has feelings, Linda. Keeping  them inside is not good. ”

“ I just wanted to ... understand ... why he left ... ”

“Maybe there is nothing to understand, Linda. Look at it this way: now you can be an independent woman, if you want. You know, you can prove you can be alone if you want. You are a smart girl, very capable, too, and also a very nice person. Fraser was a jerk, if you want to know my opinion. I never thought he could be a jerk, but he acted like one, I am sorry, but he was.”

“ Do not say that! ” asked Linda , vehemently. “ Please. I don't like to hear anyone talking about him like that. ”

“Linda.” Frannie tried to be patient. “Fraser _did_ act like a jerk. Accept this, because it is true.”

Linda  looked down, dismayed.

“ Oh, no ... What  have I done ? ”

“ Do you  really believe you  have done something wrong ? ”

“It could be ...” Linda was embarrassed, but had to ask. “Do you think he ... might not be feeling ... feeling ...  er...  _ satisfied?” _

“You mean, p leased? ”

“ Yeah ”. Linda was red . “ You know, about intimacy. ”

“ Intimacy? What do you mean, Linda? ”

“ You know ... sex. It could be that I wasn't ... satisfying him as he wanted. He might think that I ... should be able to ... do it more often ... or different ly , I don't know. ”

“Who knows?” Frannie shrugged. “He could have said something. And from what I know of you, I'm sure you would never have denied him anything he wanted.”

“ No , of course  I would not . But even so ... Maybe I could ... have had more initiative. ”

"Yeah,  it  may be so ,"  Frannie conceded. “ But I still say  he could have said something, Linda. He did not say anything? ”

“ No. In fact, I once asked if we ... were doing  it ... right. ”

“ Right? ”

Linda was totally embarrassed.

“ Yeah, you know, I have no experience, so I didn't know if we did everything ... in a normal way. Maybe other people had sex differently from us. ”

“ Different? Linda, nobody does  _ it _ ... exactly the same. ”

“ It is not that .” Linda hurried to clarify . “ I mean ...  in  frequency. You know, how many times ... we had sex. ”

“ Well, there is an average frequency for these things. I know it's embarrassing, Linda, but I need to ask: how many times have you and Fraser ...? ”

Linda blushed even more, but replied, “ Usually, they were ...  er ... three to four times ... ”

Frannie immediately said,  trying to calm her down at once, “ Great, Linda, great! Three to four times a week is definitely within the average. Fraser didn't have to complain about that. ”

Linda  went quite pale .

“ No,  Frannie , you got it wrong ... Oh, my God ... I meant ... three to four times a day. ”

Frannie dropped her chin and felt the blood running differently. Now it was her turn to blush,  s he noticed. Then she coughed and tried to keep her voic e steady when trying to confirm, “ Are you saying ... three to four times a  _ day _ ?”  Embarrassed and depressed, Linda nodded, her head  down .  Frannie couldn't resist  confirming , "Every day?"

Starting to want to cry again, Linda replied, “It was different on weekends. Sometimes we ... lost track of time ... then I lost count ...  So, it was much more ...” Linda couldn't hold on, she was so sad, “Frannie, I'm such a  _ freak! _ ... That was why he left me ...! It's all my fault, all my fault! Oh, what have I done to him?”

Francesca placed the girl in her arms , because she was about to burst into tears again and said, her  voice calm to try to reassure Linda.

“ Linda, listen to me. You are talking about a sexual relationship that seems to me to be very healthy and full of love. Do not worry about it. I'm sure a lot of people would be jealous of it, if they knew. Fraser couldn't even complain about having a poor sex life. ”

"I just wanted to make him happy, Francesca," said Linda, holding on to her borrowed sister. "I was so sad when he said I hurt him. How could I bring him so much pain? I am a horrible person for doing this!”

“ No, Linda, you are not a horrible person. Stop saying those things about yourself. What happened to you was very unfair. Everyone is as surprised and sad as you are about his leaving like that , believe me. Ray is totally disgusted. ”

Linda said, alarmed and scare d, “ Ray said he would kill  Benny ! I had to beg him not to do that!  Frannie , please don't let Ray do this. ”

“ Don't worry, Linda, Ray is not really going to kill Fraser. But you are very, very sad.  Actually, you are  _ too _ sad, and that's not a good thing. You need to get over it. I know it hurts, and it's not easy, but you have to try , Linda. ”

“Please help me...”

“ Okay, so I'm going to help you. You are my sister, aren't you? First thing to do is to make you forget it a little.  Let’s see. Sometimes, when I'm sad, I go to  Del's ice cream shop. Then I get a big chocolate milk shake with cherries and marshmallow on top. It is  so yummy and makes me feel  so  good.  What do you say ? Do you want to try it? ”

Lind a wiped away the tears.

“OK.” Frannie pointed out, “It is in that direction, about three blocks. Come on. Come on, Dief.”

The girls walked down the street, the afternoon already advancing rapidly, as it always did in mid-season. In front of the ice cream shop, however, they were in for a surprise.

"Oh, great,"  Frannie said, frustrated , her hands up in the air . "They don't let dogs in."

Dief yelped and looked more depressed than outraged . Linda explained to the animal, “Yes,  I know, and in theory, of course it doesn't apply to you, because  you are a wolf, but I think they  included wolves when they made the sign. Sorry,  Dief . ”

The animal barked now, outraged at being compare d to a dog.  Frannie asked Linda, “ You want a milk shake too, don't you? I  will  go inside and get it for us. You can wait here. I know you're not going to leave  Dief alone. ”

Linda recalled, “ Dief prefers something with jam. ”

Frannie looked at the wolf with disdain and  told him, “ Ok,  doggy , I'll try to remember. But you have to take care of Linda, okay? ”

The wolf barked once to agree to the deal, and  Frannie entered the store. Linda looked around at the street on  the beautiful afternoon, and Diefenbaker sat beside her in a way that was totally full of expectation. The wolf knew food was on its way, and was happy to be on guard to receive the food.

Suddenly, something in a car  passing by  caught the wolf's attention and he shot down the street, barking. Linda was totally baffled. Diefenbaker never behaved like that.

“ Dief ! ” She called. “ Diefenbaker! ”, s he shouted louder.  “ Dief , come back here! ”

That was when Linda remembered, embarrassed, that the wolf was deaf, and there was no other way to stop him, but to run after him.  So, she began to run. In the middle of the next block, she had to stop, as she had lost sight of him. She stopped, panting hard, and sighed, looking around bleakly, “Oh, no! ...  Dief , where are you?”

As if  an answer ,  Linda heard a bark in an alley near the other corner, and went in that direction.  Sh e entered the alley,  calling, “ Diefenbaker! Where are you? ”

She walked a few more steps into the dark alley and that's when a voice came from  behind, “ Your dog is not here, girl. ”

Linda turned, and saw two men walking towards her and her, blocking the  exit from the alley. She felt  danger in the air, her stomach suddenly  churning, but she still  managed to say, “ Then I need to look for him. Thank you, sir. ”

She tried to get past him, but the man (by the way, a big one) got  in her way,  saying, “ Let me help you find your dog. ”

“ Thank you but... ”

The arrival of a car at the mouth of the alley interrupted her. It was a dark Mercury, and Linda figured it might be the car that caught Diefenbaker's eye. She received an irrefutable  order, “Get in the car .”

“ No, I ... Please ,” Linda  felt as if a nightmare  was turning real. “ Please, sir, I beg  you, don’t do this.”

“ J ust  get in,  girl.” He grabbed her arm firmly, not  violently. “ If you come in, you need not be afraid. ”

Shaking, Linda was put in the car, and then she was surrounded by three strangers who were kidnapping her in a dark-colored Mercury, and there was nothing she could do to avoid it. They didn't even bother to put any kind of blindfold on her. The situation didn't look good, and she was shaking so badly that she couldn't even hold on to the car, which was running west. Linda had a million questions, but she was too busy trying not to panic. Besides, she didn't trust herself to speak and not reveal how truly terrified she was. Nobody uttered a word in the car.

_You_ _can't_ _despair_ , Linda told herself firmly. _Try_ _to_ _think_ , _Linda_ , _and calm yourself down._

Linda tried to think of a way to escape. And found none. The next thing she thought about was that it wouldn't be long before someone realized she was missing. That could work. Perhaps when Frannie realized that she and Dief were gone, or when Dief appeared alone ...

But by then it could be too late for Linda.

** * * * **

It was a dark part of the city, and the  evening itself was startin g to get dark, as if following the e vents around Linda. The men took Linda into an old, dirty office building. They left the car in the building's garage. Always in silence. On the ground floor, one of the men stopped her, and the other entered a room. She waited in the hall way , avoiding looking at the man beside her, her heart pounding so hard she thought she was going to pass out.

The door then opened and Linda felt the nudge in the back, the signal for her to enter the room. The minute  she entered, the men went outside, closing the door behind  her . Linda looked  around . It was an ordinary office. And she was not alone in there.

“Hello, Linda. You have nothing to fear.”

It was the same as saying the exact opposite.

Linda was very shocked to recognize the man in front of her.  Sh e tried to put as much distance as possible between her and the man,  backing away from him . She thought the man was a friend. He had said he was a friend.

“I  remember  you ... I know who you are ... Your name is Kowalski. ”

"I'm glad you remember me," Kowalski smiled, and Linda was shaking. "I'm not going to hurt you, Linda. In fact, I brought you here to help you. You do not need to be afraid.”

Linda was  so afraid that she looked at the blond man with blue eyes and a funny voice, and shouted, “ No...! You  are lying ! Stay away from me! ”

Suddenly, the man didn't seem  to smile so friendly anymore and grabbed her arm.

“Keep your voice down! You don't know how much I risked bringing you here. Now listen to me .” Intimidated, even more shaky, Linda fell silent, eyes wide with fear of that man . “ I helped bring  back  Vecchio , didn't I? You need to trust me. ”

Almost ou t of breath, she managed to ask, “ Why ...  did you… bring me here ...  like  this? You kidnapped me! ”

He r eleased her, explaining, “ I needed a cover. These guys don't know what I really am. They think you're an old girlfriend, so act like one. ”

Linda still had reservations about trusting him.

“ But what...? ”

Kowalski moved closer to Linda. Since she was already against the wall, she had no way of getting away from him any more than she already was. The blond man said, his voice softer and lower, so that  no one would hear him but Linda, “ Let me explain it. I'm working undercover, and I've discovered  a few  things . Just as I helped  Vecchio , I think I can do something for Fraser.  I have an intel I think may help him , but I don't have much time .  Here .”  He took a small  flat tin can  out of his pocket  and handed it to Linda. “ Put  this on your face, close to your eyes. ”

“ What is it? ”

“ Make up. You know, I told them that you were a girlfriend who needed a lesson. ”

Suddenly, without warning, he took a chair and smashed it against the wall with force , right next to her face . Linda screamed in alarm, and Kowalski screamed too, loudly for the men in the hall to hear him. Linda was so scared that she was shaking even more, tears streaming.

Kowalski took a short break from the destruction t o say to her, always whispering, “ We don't have much time now. I want you to listen carefully and remember what I am about to tell you . All I can say is this: remember that Fraser likes to fish, doesn't he? ” Linda nodded, crying, looking at him with pure fear.  “ Well,  Vecchio was the bait. Remember this. Tell someone in the district. Don't  let them be fooled . ”

Then  Kowalski kicked the door,  hard,  screaming again, and Linda tried to close her ears to keep from listening, but she used  her  shaking hands to rub  the  dark makeup close to her eyes and also on her forehead.  The plan was that she would look like  she'd been punched. Then she simply  let herself go down the wall like thin paint, grabbed her legs and held them against her, the fear greater than she could remember.  Linda thought it best not to pay much attention to the world,  and  she  had half a mind not to see the world anymore,  and to cl ose in on herself. She just hoped to retain the message and be able to pass it on to police officers in the 27th district.

Kowalski noticed that  the girl was too scared to be of use at the moment. For the first time, he thought he might have made a mistake. A serious mistake. The girl was not prepared for that.

“Shit”,  he said softly . “ I'll get you out of here. ”

He slammed the door open, and shouted something, but Linda was not paying attention, cringing. She felt someone lift her off the floor, then  she  was taken back to the dark Mercury. She was put in the front seat, and found herself back on the streets of Chicago  in  the  dark night, when she realized that this time it was just her and Kowalski in the car.

“ Look, Linda, I'm sorry ,” he said. “ I didn't realize ... I didn't know ... I'm really sorry. Please try to remember what I said, okay? It can help in the investigation and maybe they can find Fraser . ”

Linda was silent, no longer crying and decided not to look at the man. She still wasn't sure she could trust him. Beside her, Kowalski cursed himself mentally for what he had done.  He just wanted to help, but  instead he had had terrified the girl. And all  for what ? For  a  half-information, something that was camouflaged in a code that  Vecchio and perhaps two other detectives in the entire district could decipher. There were other ways to get the information across without leaving the girl  so confused, as he had just done .

Kowalski felt awful.

“ Look, Linda, I'm going to take you as close as I can to the district, okay? You must go over there and tell them what I told you. Please, it's important. ”

Linda just nodded, unable to say anything. She was just concentrating on hoping that the nightmare would really end, that he was not playing a cruel joke on her and that he would later  imprison her  in some  clandestine dungeon .

Finally, Kowalski stopped the car around a corn er and said, “ I can only come  this far without compromising myself , Linda. You can go now. ”

She opened the door and sa id, very quietly, very relieved, “ Thanks for letting me go. ”

“ Linda, I'm sorry. I never wanted to scare you or hurt you. Believe me.”

She  finally looked at him and asked, “ Are you really Ben's friend? ”

Their blue ey es seemed to shine in the night. “ Yes, I told you the truth. Believe me. ”

Linda nodded and then said, “In that case, thanks again. For your help. For Ben and Ray. Sorry I can’t help you much . I got  really  scared. ”

Then Linda got out of the car and walked through the streets of Chicago, into the night, through the light rain, without looking back to see if the car was gone. Linda was so confused that all she could think about was running away from everything. She didn't even look around at night. She walked for half an hour in the rain and then found herself dripping in front of the well-known door of the 27th police district. Linda also felt a chill on the cold skin under her wet clothes. She entered the district, and caused a great commotion.

“Linda!”  The  shout came  from police officer Elaine  Besbriss . “ Oh,  sweet God, Linda, are you okay? ”

She was  polite to the police officer, “ Hi, Elaine. ”

"My God, Linda, you're freezing up ." Elaine put her hands on Linda's shoulders and said, "I'm going to get a blanket from  lockup. Wait here. ”

Before Linda could stop dripping on the district floor, Elaine was gone. From his office, Lieutenant Welsh  rushed into the detectives' lounge, looking concerned.

“ Linda , how are you?  Oh, no, yo u're hurt! ”

She lifted her head to face him.

“It's just m-makeup, s-sir.” He tried to smile and then realized that she was shaking, her voice was stuttering. “I'm also a tad c-cold, sir. Elaine w-went to f-fetch m-me a b-bl-blanket.”

“Come to my office. It's warmer in there.” He put his arms around her as he took her to his office. “I was told you were gone. That you had been taken.”

Linda said, suddenly feeling colder, “It’sss already o-over, left-t-tenant.”

Welsh's office was actually warmer. At least that's what Linda felt, because she was really cold. She sat down, trembling, on the small couch. The big lieutenant shouted into the hall, “Hernandez, I need Vecchio here immediately.” He turned to Linda. “You know, Ray’s out there looking for you.”

Elaine came in at that moment, with a large blanket, and placed it on Linda's shoulders, while also bringing a cup of coffee and a box of tissues for the girl. Linda was shivering and breathing hard from the chills.

“ I'm fine. At least I am now ... But I was confused ...  v ery  confused ... He said ... it was ... the only way ... And I didn't even ... know him well, but then ... He said he could help .... ”

The lieutenant looked at Elaine and the police officer gestured that she had no idea what Linda was talking about. Welsh sat beside the confused girl, placed the c offee cup in her hands and said, “ Here, Linda, drink this. It will do  you good ... ”

“ Yes sir. Thank you, sir. I think ... I got tired. ”

“ Linda, do you know who did this to you? ”

“ Yes, sir ,” she replied . “ It was that man. You know him. His name is Kowalski. ”

“ Kowalski? But why would he do something like that in the first place? ”

“ He said it was the only way, sir ,” Linda replied . “ He said he wanted to help. But ... he scared me so much… Too much, I guess ... So ... he brought me ... down the street ... a few blocks ... down there. ”

Welsh was perplexed and so was Elaine. But even before any of them managed to ask any other questions, Ray  stormed into the police station. The movement caught Linda's attention . Ray located her in the lieutenant's office,  and shout ed, “Linda!”

“Ray!!”

The Italian broke into Welsh's office and hugged her fiercely, filled with relief and joy, letting her wet his suit. Linda tried very hard not to cry, but failed miserably . She was very happy, and all she man aged to say, through tears, was, “ I'm fine, Ray. I'm not hurt. ”

Welsh pointed  at Linda's purple face and said, “ She said Kowalski was responsible for this. Solve this mess, okay? I'll get coffee. ”

“ Yes, boss. Thank you ,” Then he lifted his head, still clinging to Linda, and asked , “ Elaine, could you please call  my home ? They  are anxious for some good news. ”

“ Sure, Ray,  I’ll be happy to . ”

Then the lieutenant left his own room, Elaine right behind him. Ray sat on Welsh's couch and took L inda's two hands in his, saying, “ We were  worried sick about you.  Frannie saw you in a car and tried to follow you. ”

“ I'm fine, Ray. What about  Dief ? ”

“He appeared soon after, trying to get a scent of you. Too bad the rain erased everything.”

She th rew herself into his arms again, “ I'm fine ... Really ... But I'm ... I'm ... kind of ... scared ...  Really scared , Ray ... I was  so scared ... ”

Ray hugged her again and let her tremble in his arms, her clothes soaked wet with his. The Italian's heart finally seemed to have found some peace. He had spent at least two hours on the streets, trying to find out where she had been taken, imagining the worst. When Linda finally raised her head and blew her nose on one of the tissues brought by Elaine, Ra y felt more confident in asking, “Do you feel  better now? ”

“ Yes, Ray ,” she sniffed. “Thank you. I am so sorry.”

“ No problem , sweetie.” He kissed her forehead . “ Can we talk now? ”

“’K.”

“ First tell me how they managed to catch you with  Dief nearby. ”

“ Dief was used as bait. Something caught his eye, he ran, I went after him, then I was forced into a car. They took me somewhere far away. There Kowalski was waiting for me . ”

“ And did you kn o w him before today? ”

“ Yes, Ray , right here.” She nodded . “ He  helped us when we tried to  find you. ”

That was someth ing that nobody had said to Ray, “Really?”

“Y es,  really . He came here in the district, one day, late at night. He said he was Benny's friend. But today ... he was with those men ... ”

“ Was he with those guys? ”

“He looked like he was  their boss or something. But he told me that they didn't know who he was. He was working undercover. I was confused, Ray ... ”

“Why ? ”

“It's just ... I didn't know if I could trust him, Ray.  First, he told me he was Benny's friend. But then ... he sent ... those men ... after me ...”

Ray closed his eyes, clearly reliving the times of his undercover work. Armando "The Bookman"  Langostini had been permanently exorcised, but Ray  Vecchio still had nightmares about  those days .

“ And then what did he do, Linda? ”

“ He lied to them. He said that I was ... an old girlfriend ... And that I needed ... a  _ lesson _ …”  She sniffed again, remembering her fear . “ He pretended that ... he hit me ... ”

Ray felt the little hair s at the base of his neck stand up when he  heard that. Carefully, he asked, “ Did he hit you, Linda? Did Kowalski hit you? ”

“No,” she answered. “No, Ray, he didn't hit me ... But ... I was so scared ... that he could do it... He screamed at me... really loud… Then he ... gave me this makeup ... to look as if… he had hit me...”

Ray suppressed a sigh of relief and asked, “Why did he do it? I mean, why did he want the men to believe that?”

Linda wi ped away some tears and replied, “ He was trying to deceive those men. He said he wanted to talk to me about Ben. ”

“ Benny? ” Ray's eyes widened. “ But why? Does he know anything about Benny? ”

“ That's what he told me, Ray, but I don't understand. He said something about Benny's fishing. ”

“ Fishing? ”

Linda looked into the pair of green eyes that stared at her and replied, frustrated, “T hat's what he said. He said that Benny likes to fish and that you had been the bait. He said it was important, Ray, so  important that  he had set it up to tell me that. And I didn't understand any of it . ”

Ray was quiet, looking at Linda. She knew from the look on his face and the sparkle in his eyes that he was thinking. She also thought it best to be quiet. Then he said, “ Well, it doesn't matter now, Linda. It's  all over  and everything is fine . I'll see  that someone takes you home. You need to change your clothes as quickly as you can, otherwise you  may get sick. ”

She clung to  the blanket, “ Aren't you coming home, Ray? ”

“I still need to check out some things here. I'll go later. Right  now, Ma is probably waiting for you, making her miraculous chicken soup. If you keep her waiting, you know she'll be upset, don't you?”

“ I know, Ray. ” The girl hugged him again . “ Thank you. ”

“ I don't know yet, Linda, but we may  have to  thank  Kowalski, too. ”

Linda didn't understand that, but she was too tired to argue, so she just wrapped herself in the blanket even more and waited for the ride that would take her to the  Vecchio's . All she wanted to do was forget about that horrible day.

Too bad it was too late for that promised Del's milkshake ...


	56. Chapter 56

## Chapter 56

It wasn't uncommon for Ray  Vecchio to have trouble sleeping, but this time it wasn't exactly a matter of insomnia. The soft noise from the guest room was not enough to wake anyone, but as he was determined to keep an eye on Linda 24 hours a day, he was soon alerted.

Ray tiptoed out into the dark and reached the room, whose door was never closed. He and his mother had decided to keep the door always open and the key hidden so Linda could not lock herself inside. Despite Dr. Lennyard's words of tranquility, they thought that everyone would be calmer if they were completely sure that Linda could not harm herself or be hurt.

When Ray entered the room, Linda was sitting by the window,  hugging her legs , knees close to her chest,  Dief at her side. She wept in the greatest silence, eyes closed, sobs muffled. His shoulders shook violently from the force of his tears. Still, it barely made a sound. Ray felt his heart break when he saw not only how much she  was suffering , but also that someone could be in such pain so close to him and not make a sound. He didn't even know it was possible.

She hadn't noticed when he came in, but she heard Ray's footsteps when he crossed the room to go to her. Linda looked  up; green eyes met green eyes. Ray walked slowly and sat down beside her, eyes always following. She shrugged and in a fraction of her voice, whimpering, trying to explain herself, “It’s just… Oh, Ray… I just miss him  _ so much _ ...”

Ray came to feel a physical ache in his chest from the pain he felt coming from Linda, and wrapped his arms around her. The girl felt his heat and couldn't help the weeping that followed the simple offer of a friendly shoulder. She cried, cried and shivered in Ray's  arms; her body still weak. Ray couldn't help a few tears from escaping his own eyes. Linda felt as if she could wash away the pain with tears, trying to heal the immense wound that took her heart's place since Fraser left her. It seemed to her that the pain would never ever go away.

Soon she was tired and even more discouraged. She didn't let go of Ray, but the sobs seemed to be more widely spaced, the tears less intense. She looked up and tried to say, “ Oh, Ray ... Sorry ... Your pajamas are wet ... ”

“ It's all right. Do not let it  bother you. ”

“I am so sorry.”

“ Linda, you should be sleeping. ”

“ I couldn't, Ray .” She almost choked . “ I ... miss  him ... ”

“ I know , honey. I miss him too. Want to talk? ”

She lowered her head.

“ I'm not sure, Ray ... If I speak, it looks like ... it gets worse. ”

“ Worse? Do you think so? ” Ray asked gently . “ I know it hurts a lot. Believe me, Linda, I know. ”

“ I don't know how to  make it better , Ray ... And I  also  keep getting worse.”

“ Why don't you just think about the good times?  The happy moments? ”

"It only serves to remind me that  these times are gone forever , Ray.  Gone to be never more again."

“ You c an't do this to yourself, Linda,”  Ray felt devastated . “ You need to fight this, and I'm here to help. Believe it. ”

“I don't understand, Ray. Why did he talk about all those plans? And there was also the – ” She broke off, her eyes widening, her skin becoming even paler, even though Ray thought that was impossible. “Oh, no ... Ray, help me, please...”

“ What's up, Linda? ”

“I forgot, Ray.” She was shaking even more “Oh, no! ... I forgot about that... The  doctor... I need to see a doctor ...!”

“ Linda, stay calm. Why do you need a doctor? ”

She started to get agitated, “ The baby …! Ray, I may be pregnant. I did  some  tests, but the results ... I don't  quite  remember, but I need to know, Ray. And I don't know what to do, I ... ”

“Linda, Linda.” R ay tried to interrupt her, get her attention . “ Linda, everything is fine. Do not worry. ”

“ But Ray ... ”

“ Dr.  Lennyard gave us the results of his exams. You are not pregnant. ”

She stopped to look into his eyes with concern, the street light  on Ray's face, and was confused, “ Say what ?”

“ The tests were all negative. You are not pregnant. ”

“ _ Not _ … pregnant ? ”

“ No. He said that you have a hormonal imbalance, something that can be corrected with  medication . You'll be great. ”

“Ah.  So, I'm not going to ... be a mom, I think.”

“ Not now, at least. There will be  plenty of time later. ”

“ I don't know about  that , Ray .” Linda couldn't face her friend. “I never ...  never  thought about  having a child that wasn't Ben 's. ”

“ Did you think about marrying him? ”

Linda almost smiled, “ We talked about it. I remember  it ... once ... He said we could  even  go and live in Canada. With or without a baby ... He said ,” She sobbed and started crying again. “He said that ... we would grow old together ... ”

Ray held her closer, and she tried very hard not to cry anymore, but some tears persisted in escaping, even with her eyes closed. Sh e said, unable to lift her head, “ I was a fool, Ray ... I think I still believe in everything he said ... I  do not believe ...  what’s happening ... Sometimes I think this is all a nightmare ... I wish that  it were ... ”

“ Linda, this is not forever. It hurts now, and it will hurt a little longer. But this will not always be the case. One day it will hurt less, you'll see. You need to believe that. Trust me,  sweetie . ”

Linda looked at him devotedly, “ I trust you, Ray. I am so very grateful to you. ”

“ You don't have to, Linda. We're friends. And now we need to get you some sleep, okay? ”

A low yelp cam e from the side and Ray laughed, “Did you hear it? Even the hairball agrees with me. ”

“ I am also very grateful to you, Diefenbaker. ”

The animal placed its snout on Linda's knee, and she strok ed the soft white fur. Ray said, “ The  medication you are taking should be helping you sleep too. Why didn't it work? I think I'll call Dr.  Lennyard . He can change  it again. ”

Linda sniffed before answering, “ It just takes time to start taking effect, Ray. At least a week, and I've only taken a few pills so far. ” Ray looked at her, puzzled, and the girl shrugged, embarrassed.  “ I've taken drugs like  these all my life, Ray. I know how they work. ”

He smiled, “ You are very smart, you know? Now let's see if you get some sleep. ”

“‘ K. ”

Ray helped her to go to bed, her muscles aching from shrinking for so long. He put her on the bed and covered her with affection. When she was well settled, he asked, bru shing her hair off her forehead, “A re you going to try to sleep? ”

“ Yes, Ray, I will. ”

“ Do you want me to stay here  with you  until I do? ”

“ No need, Ray. Go to sleep. You're going to work tomorrow, aren't you? ”

“ That's right. Now have a good night.  Dief will take care of you going forward, won't you,  Dief ? ”

The wolf gave a little "woof" and Linda smiled at him. Then Ray leaned down to kiss her forehead, the gold en cross he wore aro und her neck,  touching her nose, “ Good night  sweetie.”

“ Good night, Ray. ”

** * * * **

It took some time for Mrs. Vecchio to notice that Linda was very anxious at the end of the day. First, she thought it was effect of the medication, but then the smart Italian matriarch realized what the real problem was. Linda was waiting for Ray to get home from work. When he was late for some reason, Linda got agitated and tried to hide it from everyone. Very discreetly, Linda then would  ask Mrs. Vecchio if Ray was on his way, or why he was late, or what made him late.

“I don't know,  _ bambina  _ _ mia _ ,” smiled Mrs.  Vecchio that night, while the two of them were preparing dinner in the kitchen,  her voice carefully prepared to sound as if nothing had happened . “ But you need not worry. He's a cop, you know he works a lot. ”

“ Yes , I know. But is he coming back today? ”

“ Sure. Don't you want to call him? He will enjoy hearing your voice. ”

“ No, I don't want to disturb Ray in his work. I just ... ” \- Linda blushed, then shook her head. “ Never mind , it's silly of me. ”

“ What is it ,  _ bambina _ _? _ ” encouraged Ray's mother . “ You can tell me. ”

“ It's just ... sometimes . .. I'm so scared, Ma. ”

“You have fear? That Ray might get hurt, is that it?”

“No,” Linda really looked very hurt. “Fear that he, too, might go and never come back.”

Linda's eyes shone with tears, and Mamma Vecchio dropped the vegetables she cut to embrace her with affection. The girl was shaking.

“ No,  _ bambina _ . Have no fear.  Raymondo would never do such a thing. ”

_Nor_ _would_ _Ben_ _. But he did_ _it anyway_ _,_ thought Linda _._

Linda couldn't accept this.

The whole incident ended when Linda ran up the stairs and threw herself on the bed in her room, crying herself to sleep. Mrs.  Vecchio sighed in despair, looking at her adopted daughter's uneasy sleep.

** * * * **

Ray  Vecchio came home later that night, feeling a little happier than usual. Truth be told, lately  his  co - workers avoided him as if he had the plague or some other serious contagious disease . H e  had become s o moody since the  Mountie was gone. But that day was different.

From the minute he stepped inside his home , he could feel the tension thickening in the air. Maria's children were finishing dinner alone, even though Linda loved to feed them. He kissed his nephews and nieces, asking for Aunt Linda. The children replied that she had gone to bed early. He was intrigued.

His mother came down the stairs, and Ray noticed that her eyes were red.  She had been crying. His heart sank.

“Ma ? ”

“Oh, Raymondo, thank San Genaro that you are at home, son.”

She kissed him on the cheeks, really relieved to see him. He  felt her apprehension and asked, “ Ma, what happened? ”

“ It's  Linda , dear. I don't know what else to do. Poor  _ bambina _ ...! ”

“ Where is she? ”

“ In the bedroom. She is very sad. Very, very sad.  _ Poverina _ . ”

_ Oh, shit. _

“ Did something happen, Ma? ”

“ Raymondo , today she told me she was afraid that you , too , would never return. She was very scared, dear.  She looked so sad, the poor thing. ”

_ Oh, shit. _

“ I'll talk to her. ”

He ran up the stairs and knocked softly on the room before opening the door softly. Linda was sitting on the bed, Diefenbaker lying on her lap. She didn't look at Ray.

“Hello Linda.”

She did not raise her head and continued to p et the wolf, saying very softly, “ Hi, Ray. ”

“ Mom told me you weren't feeling very well.  Is there something I can do ? ”

“ Ray ... ”

“Y es? ”

Linda took a deep breath, and tried again, “ Ray ... I think ... I need something ... ”

“ Anything, Linda. You  just  say what you need, and I'll get it for you. It doesn't matter if it is legal or dangerous, you know that I will get anything you need. ”

“ Thank you, Ray. ”

“ That's what friends are for. Do you know what you need? ”

She was crying again, “ I think ... I need to go back ... to the institution. ”

“Come again ? ” Ray felt his heart wanting to jump out of his chest, such a  shock. “ Linda, what are you  saying ? ”

“ Please, Ray, take me back to the  loony bin . Please. ”

There was something very wrong there. To begin with, Linda would never ask for that. Going back to the institution where she had grown up was high on the list of Linda’s biggest fears, and that she was asking for it was a terrible sign of depression. Nor would she ever use the expression “loony bin”. 

Ray took a deep breath and  asked,  trying to  keep  his voice calm and sweet, “ But why are you asking me that, Linda? Don't you like it here? Just don't tell me you are bothering Ma or giving her trouble , because it is not true. ”

“It's not that, Ray ... it is…  Er...” She couldn't continue, tears falling on Diefenbaker's fur.

“ Linda, I'm not going to do anything until you tell me exactly what's going on and why you're asking me for it. ”

For a few more seconds, Linda sobbed softly, letting more tears fall on the wolf, whom she kept stroking. She had not yet looked at Ray, nor raised her head.  She just co uldn't. Then she managed to say.

“Ben won't be back, Ray... I know that… And I miss him so much I can’t stand it ... I can’t bear life without him ... I'm so grateful for everything you are doing ... Your mother ... Everyone ... I ... thank you all very much ... But don't you see it's useless? Sooner or  later, I'm going to go back there, Ray... I know that ... My whole life is going to be like this... Without him ... And my life is over since he's gone... I can’t take it anymore...”

"Don't say that, Linda." Ray tried hard to contain his tears. He had never seen Linda so sad before. “Please, Linda, don't say that. _Please_.”

“It's all my fault, Ray.” She continued, tears rolling. “Ben made that very clear. I hurt him, and I... am not ... I am not fit to live in the outside world, Ray ... I belong in there ... People like me must go in there and stay there ... Ben was right ... All this time, I thought I could make him happy ... I was so stupid!... I wanted this so much ... But I was wrong, now I see that I have to go back there, Ray...”

“ Linda, please ... ”

Linda did not hear Ray's voice and continued, now calmer  – dangerously resigned to the terrible words she  described to a terrified  Ray.

"If you feel like going to  visit me there, I would be very happy, Ray. You are my only friend, and I am very proud of that. Sooner or later, I know, you're not going to show  up, but that's okay, because you have your life , too. But my life is there, Ray ... And I  trust only you to take care of Diefenbaker... I am sure that wolves are not allowed in the hospice …”

“No, Linda, no, no!!” Ray raised his voice angrily, and Linda flinched in fear,  Dief even started to growl to protect her. Ray controlled himself with effort. “Sorry I yelled at you, Linda. I didn't want to scare you. But you are totally wrong for thinking these things; please listen to me. I  _ beg _ you.”

She hasn't looked at him yet, and said, “See? I managed to piss off even _you_. How can you say that I'm wrong? It's just what I do. Wrong things.”

“W ill yo u please listen to me? ”

“ Sure, Ray. ”

“ So, pay attention, okay? I have news, and when I tell you what it is, you will see that you are totally wrong. First, let me explain that I wasn't sure what was going on, so I didn't want to give you any false hopes. That's why I didn't tell you before. It's not that I was trying to hide things from you, understand?”

As he was not making much sense, Linda  confessed, “ I am not s o sure I understand what you are saying , Ray. ”

“ Fair enough. S o just pay attention, then you can ask me anything you want. Fine? ”

“ Okay, Ray. ”

“ Okay,  look.” He said the words very slowly and  carefully. “ I'm almost sure that Fraser was forced to abandon you. ”

“No, Ray, this is not  –”

“Hear me out, please,” Ray interrupted Linda, and this was something he never did. “Just hear me out, okay? I know what Fraser said to you, and I'm pretty sure he didn't mean any of those horrible things he told you. Linda, I'm investigating this. I think he is trying to protect you, and that Victoria is behind all this.”

“ W ho? ”

“ Victoria. Benny told you about her, didn't you? ”

“ I'm not sure. Who is she? ”

Ray sighed and said , “ Benny told me he would tell you about this woman. She was in his life,  and it was  a terrible thing.  She robbed a bank.  He put her in jail. ”

“Oh” said Linda. “Yes, he did. Now I remember. But he never told me her name. You...” she gasped. “Do you think he's with _her?_ ”

"Yes," Ray said, and then explained, "But not for the reasons you think, Linda. She probably forced Benny to go with her. She's really ... terrible. ”

“ He could have refused to go, Ray. ”

“ Linda, you don't know her. Did Benny tell you that  _ she _ made me shoot him? I shot my best friend in the back because of that snake! ”

“ He told me. You ... still feel sorry for that, don't you? ”

“ Yes, I do. But it seems that Benny never told the whole story. ”

The girl remembered that dawn in the kitchen, in which the two opened up, comforted themselves, caressed each other ... It was when Fraser had  told her about the woman that she now knew  had the name of  Victoria.

“ It was my  fault ” , said  Linda. “ Talking about it seemed to hurt Ben so much that I asked him to stop. We promise never to mention that again. ”

“ Well, you need to remember that she set us up, made me arrest Fraser, and she also shot Diefenbaker . T hen I had to mortgage the house to pay Benny's bail, and he would run away with her, if I hadn't shot in him. In short, that's it. The bullet ... is still there. ”

Linda said in a soft voice, placing her hand on Ray's arm , “Oh, Ray. I know you still blame yourself for everything. ”

“ So, you know she's not a good person. Well, it looks like she found new partners in crime. That murder Benny and I were investigating led to a new clue about an already convicted guy. Then I heard that someone inside the penitentiary could be involved as well. And it was. The name was Charles Carver.”

Carver! Linda shivered at the mention of the name. The man, previously arrested by Ray, had used the detective's name to attract Linda. Then he had kidnapped and tortured her. Fraser had located her and helped to save her.

Ray saw the terror in her eyes, then took the girl's hand and asked, in a soft  voice, “ There's more, Linda, there's much more. Are you sure you want to  know everything? ”

"Yes," she said, her heart racing. "Please, Ray. ”

“A pparently Carver had some mutual friends with another acquaintance of ours, a gentleman by the name of  Moreaux ”. Linda's eyes widened . “ These mutual friends started to  drop dead before I could speak to them. ”

Linda closed her eyes, a flash of memory bringing back the memory of when  Moreaux had abducted her for five days, brutalizing her repeatedly. Her voice was  low.

“ Ray ... Is that  Moreaux ... the  same one ...? ”

“Y es, Linda,  it’ s the  same one , yes. ”

“ Why, Ray? Why did they ... do those things ...? ”

Ray sat closer to her and didn't let go of her hand, trying to control the anger he had been feeling for weeks and couldn't share .

“From what I was able to discover recently, Linda, your name, address, schedule and all your activities were in the notebook of every criminal on the south and west side of Chicago. Someone was giving your name to these thugs to do with you whatever they wanted. The owner of that clandestine brothel where you were kept for nine weeks confessed to my face when I asked him. He also told me that ... anyone who used you was rewarded.”

“Rewarded? By whom?” Linda was starting to panic. “Who would do such a thing?”

“E verything points to Victoria. Her name came up with that raid we did about two years ago. The one I got injured in and  landed me in the hospital when  we first met,  remember that ? ”

Linda smiled, for the first time in a long time, as she recalled the happy times of meeting Ray and Ben.

“ Of course, I do.”

“ In that raid, an ex-cellmate  of Jolly, Victoria's former partner, was arrested. Hence the Canada connection. That and  Moreaux , of course, who is also Canadian. That must have been where you got her attention. ”

“B ut ... that was a long time ago, Ray, it’s been almost two years. Has this been happening ... for  _ this _ long? ”

Ray shrugged.

“Thar brothel’s owner gave us a good service. Said Victoria has been following you for a long time. Things got a lot easier when Victoria joined a  low-level mobster more than a year ago. She probably ... also invented the whole scheme of manufacturing a father for you in order to battle your custody, although the real purpose was to actually produce a baby and sell it. The price for a healthy white baby on the black market can be quite steep, hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more. Even more so if it is one with your beautiful eyes, and Benny's features ... The price can be quite tempting.”

It hurt Linda more than any of the other terrible things Ray had said before. Her and Fraser's baby ... Lost ... Sold for  a  s mall fortune ...

For a few moments, she couldn't hear anything else,  and the world spun violently. The last thing she remembered was her nose making direct contact with  Diefenbaker’ fur and Ray's voice calling out h er  name, but getting more and more distant.


	57. Chapter 57

## Chapter 57

Linda was in Ray's arms when the world seemed to finally slow down around her. She looked around. Apparently,  sh e had passed out only for a few seconds. Ray's green eyes stared at her with concern, and  Dief smelled her ears and neck.

“Linda ? ”

“ Ray … ? ”

He stared at her, didn’t  like what he saw and decided, “ I'll call the doctor. ”

“No,  I am all right. There is no need to call Dr.  Lennyard .”  Dief started to lick her face,  as her voice lacked both firmness and conviction. She insisted , “ It's true, I'm fine. ”

“ Can you sit  up ? ”

"Sure," she tried, and stopped for a while to see if the world was still spinning. It didn't spin. “ See? ”

“ Okay, I believe you. But now you better go down stairs . Mom will be worried if she doesn't  see you at dinner. And everything I said ... It is better to try not to think too much about what we talked about. ”

Linda  grabbed his arm.

“ Ray ... there's more, isn't there? ”

The Italian looked into her eyes and saw that they demanded the truth, not some lie, even for pity. He sighed, “Yes, there is more. But we can speak about that tomorrow. It would also be nice if not a word of it left this house. The case is still open, no one is in prison, and we can scare them away. Besides, it's dinner time. You should not think about these things during dinner. Ma says it is bad for digestion.”

Linda whimpered, “But  Ray, I'm not hungry. ”

“Well, don’t tell me about it. Try to convince Ma you won’t eat, see what happens.” Ray got up from the bed. “Come on, Dief, let's go downstairs and let this beautiful lady touch up her makeup ...”

Linda watched the wolf and the man leave the room and sighed deeply. She was still a  bit dizzy with  everything she had heard . Never, even in her wildest fantasies, could she have imagined half the things Ray had said. She needed to think about it very carefully, but for the moment, she should focus on dinner. Mamma  Vecchio took meals very seriously, and Linda didn't want to make Ma sad.

** * * * **

Ray avoided the subject the next day, but even though they didn't talk about it, Linda felt something change inside her. She waited until she was alone w ith the detective and announced, “ I want to help. ” Ray looked at her, and she added . “ I want to help with the investigation. I  think we can get help. External help, I mean.”

“ What are you talking about? ”

“ That strange encounter I had with that man called Kowalski, last week, now begins to make sense. Maybe he can help us. ”

Ray tried to explain, “ Look, Linda, it could be dangerous for him. I've worked undercover, I know the risks. We don't want to expose  him like that . In addition, the case now focuses more on one location. A place where they can be keeping Fraser. ”

Linda’s eyes went wide with expectation.  “ Do you think we can find  Ben ? Find him and… bring him home? ”

“ It will depend on whether  he wants to be rescued, Linda ,” said Ray, sincerely . “ He may  also  be in a situation that he cannot leave. Who knows what that snake did to him? She's probably threatening  to harm  _ you _ , which is why I brought you to my home in the first place. I am almost sure he is doing this to protect you. Of course, you couldn't have known all of this, otherwise Fraser could  also  be in danger. And he still can, so we have to act as if nothing has happened. ”

Linda's eyes widened.

“ I didn't know the investigation was secret. ”

"It seems like a big deal, Linda," Ray explained. "Big stuff usually means big busine ss and a lot of money involved. The risks are astronomical. We need to be very careful. It's for your own protection , and Benny’s, too . Not even the people in the district are  in on this . ”

“ Do you think they're still watching us? ”

“ Nobody knows for sure, Linda. But they are not being obvious. As I said,  these guys may still be following you, and they may be where we least expect it. ”

“ It's been over three weeks since ... ” Linda lowered her head, still in shock, unable to  say the words “ since I came here. They may have given up on watching me. ”

“ Maybe, but they may have left some spies planted. I'm pretty sure someone is still watching the house. We have to be very careful, because we don't know the risks for Fraser. ”

This argument was one that would always convince Linda. She threw herself into Ray's arms suddenly, her heart  racing, and sat on his lap.

“ Ray, I ... I feel weird ... Since you told me, I feel ...  er ... I feel ...  as if ...  as if ... ”

He  suggested, “ As if you wanted to believe that everything will be okay, but you are afraid to believe it because if things don't work out as you think they should, then you think you will die of so much pain? ”

Linda opened  her eyes wide and looked at him.

“ That's right!  Exactly! ... How ...?  How do you know? ”

“ Because that's exactly how I feel , too. ”

She thought her heart was going to explode. She leaned her head on Ray's shoulders, hugging him tightly, te ars of gratitude rolling softly, “ I'm glad you're here, Ray. Thank you for being my friend. I love you. ”

“ Me too,  _ ragazza _ . ” Ray rarely talked in Italian with Linda. When he did, she knew it was the real deal. It comforted Linda immensely.

“ And what are we going to do, Ray? ”

“I have an idea.” Linda lifted her head to see jade eyes shining as he stared at her. “You and I can go talk to Dr. Lennyard, and ask him to authorize your return to work. As soon as you start moving around more, these people will need to expose themselves more, if they still have ideas about harassing you. Then we can grab them. Of course, this might mean more danger for you and our good doctor may object.”

“ We can convince  him , Ray. ”

“ Yes, I think we can. But it will depend a lot on you. ”

“On me ? ”

“You need to prove to Dr. Lennyard that you can handle it, Linda.” Ray said in an extremely serious way, totally different from his usual relaxed and calm approach. “You have been very depressed, needing care. Right the other day you were talking about going back to the institution. If you keep up with this behavior, you will not be able to convince the doctor.”

Linda felt very ashamed.

“I am so sorry,  but I ... You know, I was ... ”

He interrupted her gently, taking her h ands in his long, elegant hands, “ What I want to know now is this: do you still think so? Do you still want to go back to the institution? ”

“No, Ray," she said, firmly. "Not if there is any chance that Ben ... might come back to us."

Ray smi led gently and kissed her cheek.

“Let's make this chance real, Linda. I promise you that I will do everything I can to make this happen.”

Linda let him wrap her in his arms, feeling his affection cover her like a blanket, making her feel safe and protected in that embrace. More than that, she felt in her heart that the possibility of Ben coming back to her again was the only comfort she needed.

Oddly, convincing Dr.  Lennyard to let Linda get back to work took less time than Ray had initially thought. Regardless of any connection to the detective's investigation, the psychiatrist  had already set his mind on returning Linda to her work as a form of therapy capable of lifting her from the deep depression she was  falling . After Ray left, the doctor asked Linda to stay a few minutes so he could examine her feelings about the new situation. Linda confessed her thoughts about returning to the institution, then explaining that everything had changed, and admitting that she was terrified of having hopes. Dr.  Lennyard considered the reactions to be perfectly compatible with the circumstances and seemed satisfied. Then Linda was sent to Mrs.  Sorelli , who was not only happy to see the girl, but also made a point of fitting her in the morning shift, starting in a few days.

As she left the hospital, Linda tried not to think that someone might be watching her. Instead, she thought of something Dr.  Lennyard had mentioned: feelings about Victoria.  Linda didn't even know the woman, who had been Ben's first love. Linda couldn't think of Victoria as a rival, as Ben had repeatedly said that everything between them was over. Linda honestly didn't feel hatred, anger or jealousy for  the woman . But Linda was sad and hurt because there was a person who didn't even know her,  yet wanted to hurt her so badly – maybe even kill her.

Before Linda realized what she was doing, she was in front of her own building, the building where she and Ben lived. In slow movements, she carefully climbed the stairs, and tried to open the door, her heart wanting to leap from her chest. It was open, because Ray had broken  the lock in to save her from certain death when she was  weak , alone and semi-conscious. She  cringed as she remembered that.

It was very difficult for Linda to look at all her things and places where she had known such happiness, now abandoned and deserted. Everything was the same as she had left it. Tears came to her eyes, but she risked touching some of the objects, like the  couch where they had made love so passionately so many times . Within minutes, she found she couldn't stand memories of the couch and ran away from  it , walking out of the living room and into the bedroom. Linda looked at the bed, and a strange thing happened: her head started to spin, her chest was aching, her temples were throbbing in pain, her knees were shaking, and she staggered, dizz il y, into the closet, before her eyes  felt as  if they clouded.

It wasn't very smart, concluded Linda, when she found herself face to face to the painfully familiar red serge tunics. Coming close to the garment, she could still make out familiar odors. Fraser's scent was impregnated in the clothing, Linda could recognize his smell with her eyes closed, as they were at that moment. She couldn't stand the pain anymore and fell on her knees in the closet, crying, her heart breaking.

For long minutes, Linda cried, sobbed, and despaired. A few long minutes passed before she even stopped crying to realize that the  dress  jacket had ended up in her hands, and she had wrapped her arms lovingly around it as if she could do that to the owner. When she was able to breathe again, Linda got back to her feet and hung the jacket in place. On the top shelf was a spare Stetson, and on impulse, she pulled it out, hearing something fall to the floor when she had removed her hat. Scolding herself for being so clumsy, she thought it must be some Sam Browne belt buckle.

Crouching carefully into the cramped, dark closet, Linda noticed that it was a small blue velvet box, similar to those used to hold medals and military decorations. She knew Ben had been decorated before, but she didn't remember seeing that blue box, and she never knew it was in the closet before. Hesitantly,  s he opened it.

There was no medal inside. It was a gold ring, very delicate. Linda took it out of the box, curious, and placed it in the palm of her hand. There was an inscription on the ring. She read: "Yours forever, BF".

For Linda, it was everything she  had hoped . A  confirmation . Palpable evidence that Fraser had not planned to leave her, that he had not been sincere in saying all those horrible things to her that night at Chandler's, that he never wanted to lie to her, and that he always loved her.

Before Linda could stop herself, she had already put the small box in her coat pocket and run. She had flown out of the apartment, then plummeted down the stairs and taken off through the streets of Chicago in a sprint to somewhere even she was not quite sure to. Her thoughts ran much faster than her body. When her muscles finally got tired, she slowed down, less than four blocks from the Vecchio residence.

Like a rocket, Linda went up the stairs and went into her room, curled up in a corner of the room. Diefenbaker was there, always by her side, and she hugged the wolf. The animal sniffed, sniffed, and sniffed, then whined, smelling Fraser on her clothes . Linda knew that  Dief was as sad as she was, but this time it was a different sadness. It had a strange taste of joy mixed with it.

“ _ Bambina? _ ” Mamma  Vecchio entered, but Linda hid her face . “ _ Car _ _ a  _ _ mi _ _ a _ ,  what is it? What happened? ”

Linda  tried to hide her tears and said, “ Nothing. I ran over here. I'm tired. ”

Mrs.  Vecchio recognized Linda's tone of voice. It was with that voice that Linda closed  herself  and said nothing of what was going on in her heart. The Italian left the room for a few minutes, then returned with her hands full.

“I brought some juice. You need to replenish your energies if you ran from so far. Come on,  _ cara _ , please drink it up. I will not take no for an answer.”

Linda recognized Mrs. Vecchio's tone of voice. It was in that voice that Ray's mother signaled that she would not be fooled. Besides, when she threatened with food, it was sign of a serious matter.  So, Linda went to bed and drank the juice. Then Ma Vecchio kissed her forehead and said, “Get some rest,  _ bambina _ . I will call you for dinner, okay?”

“ Thank you, Ma.  You are the best Ma in the world. ”

Linda saw the smile grow on the old Italian woman's face before she left the room. Linda thought, thought, thought. Diefenbaker climbed on the bed too, and the two ended up  napping . Then the door opened, and Linda woke up with a start.

“ Sorry ,” said Ray . “ I didn't mean to  startle you. Go back to  rest . ”

“No, it’s fine, Ray. I was waiting for you .” She got up and took the box out of her coat pocke t. “ I wanted to show you this. ”

Ray took the box in his hands, then took off the ring and read the inscription. Then all the color seemed to have drained from his Mediterranean face.

“Oh, my God,”  he murmured . “ Where did you find  this ? ”

“ In the closet at home, hidden behind the reserve Stetson. I found it by accident. ”

“Oh, dear.”

Linda felt h er heart leaping from her chest, “ Ray, did you know anything about this? ”

Ray sighed, closing his eyes, then sa id - green eyes full of sadness, “ Benny told me he was trying to speed up the wedding procedures. He even mentioned a specific ring he wanted to buy for the engagement. It was supposed to be ... a surprise, Linda. ”

The girl had her eyes the exact color of tw o large emeralds when she asked, “ Ray, isn't that ... evidence? ”

The policeman was lost.

“ Evidence? ”

“ That he didn't want to go. That he was  _ forced _ to go. ”

Ray sighed and almost gave up on answering, but he knew he couldn't escape the truth. The n he replied, in a gentle voice, “ Maybe not, Linda. Perhaps it just indicated that at one point, he thought of himself as  ‘ yours forever ’ . Sorry.”

Linda understood what Ray failed to mention: that Ben could have changed his mind after that and left her of his own free will. As, by the way, Ben had made it very clear to Linda.

The girl lowered her head, discouraged, her eyes lost much of their initial shine. Her voice sounded weak  and discouraged even to herself, “ I understand, Ray. Forgive me for causing you so much discomfort. ”

"You didn't hurt me,  Linda, you just hurt yourself.  Linda, why did you go to the apartment? And all by yourself? ”

She had no answer for that. She just remembered getting there. Linda kept her head down, unable to face Ray. Tears were streaming down her face, the pain in her chest was very great.

Ray sighed, “ Well, we better talk about it later. After all, dinner will be out soon. Ma will want to see you down there, I'm sure. So, you have to look more cheerful, Linda. If you're really going to go back to work, you're going to have to fight this depression, Linda. ”

Linda looked at him and sai d, looking much more determined, “I'm doing this for Ben, Ray . I'll make it. ”

“ You don't have to do something that will hurt  you just because you think it's what he would want. You have feelings, and I don't want to see you hurt even more than you alre ady are.” Ray approached her and said , “ Listen,  er , I shouldn't say  this , but  we ...  w e have an alternative plan. ”

“ Alternative ? ”

Ray shrugged.

“ If nothing happens when you go back to work, we can try something else to  flush them out. But it's kind of a last resort, so don't get too excited. ”

“ What is it, Ray? ”

He approached he r and said, in a very low voice, “ We can pretend you died. ”

Jade-green eyes widened until they were as big as pearls when looking at  him . Ray  added, “ Please don't say anything. We probably won't get to do that, and the mere idea still causes a lot of ... controversy, to say the least. Welsh doesn't even want to hear about it. ”

“ And how would that be done, Ray? ”

“ We would spread the rumor that you ... committed suicide. ”

Linda took a deep breath, scandaliz ed, and barely managed to reply, “ Ray, I would never ... I mean,  **_ never _ ** ...! ”

He hurried to say, “ We know  that , Linda, believe me. But the people we are chasing may not know this , and  they might  believe that you would be capable of such a desperate act. We could trick them. ”

Lind a threw herself into Ray's arms, “ I would never do such a thing, Ray. Benny would never forgive me. ”

Ray kissed the top of her head with affection and said, “As I said, it might be a waste of time to discuss this. It probably won't be done. Only, now, you're going to have dinner, okay? So, please put a smile on that face and get downstairs. You know you can't escape Ma.”

Linda kissed his cheek, feeling happy inside. In the period of greatest pain that she could remember in her whole life, she was glad to be able to count on the best friend she had ever had.


	58. Chapter 58

## Chapter 58

Going back to work was one of the best decisions Linda could have made. Not only did she quickly get into the old work routine, but she also felt that her mood had improved terribly, the depression looking much smaller, more and more distant. In record time, she was back to cleaning in a cheerful and dedicated manner. The best part of her day were always the Operating Room and the Intensive Care Unit. She felt great to be able to talk to comatose patients again. It looked like she had a lot to say to them.

In addition to this, another new routine ended up being established, as Linda ended up not moving out of the  Vecchio house. The decision to stay there was up to the girl. She asked Mrs.  Vecchio , who happily agreed , and Ray was thrilled with the idea. He feared that returning to the old apartment would throw her  deeper  into the depression that Linda seemed to be coming out of. In fact, Linda was fully aware that she was unable to return to the apartment. She had left there  about six weeks ago (it felt like years to her), but she still felt very vulnerable. She was still thinking about Ben, still crying when she remembered how happy she had been for almost six months. The brief visit she had made  to her apartment when she found the ring had been sufficient proof of that. Living there alone was  emotionally taxing, totally  unthinkable.

Every morning, Ray  drove her to the hospital, and whenever he could, he picked her up at the end of the day. From time to time , Linda went to the 27 th district  to follow the investigation. The most irritating aspect of the whole affair was the virtual lack of proof that Fraser was being  kept against his will. There was no physical evidence of kidnapping, just ample evidence that someone had been watching Linda for a long, long time.

One of those clues could be something that Ray had been avoiding talking to Linda about, but she would probably help him a lot if he knew: Martha's involvement in it all. Every time  Ray thought about it,  he felt a little sick. But he would have to confront Linda with the truth sooner or later.

So, it would be sooner, apparently.

Linda was getting very intrigued by Ray's behavior that day. All she asked for was to help with the investigation, which she always did. This time, she had even managed to be released from work earlier, and would like to spend the extra time doing just that, helping with the investigation. Only this time, the detective used all his Italian tenacity to insist she  should  not go with him .

“ No, Linda,  I am sorry,  you can't  come . I can  do this myself. ”

“ Of course, you can do it alone, Ray, it's your job, and you do it very well. I just wanted to help.”

With his back to her, Ray continued to  organize the files in the cabinet next to his desk (w hich he never did) while saying, “ I understand it , Linda, but I need to talk to suspects. Some of them can be dangerous. We've discussed this before.  Besides, it’s is getting late, the night is coming, and you shouldn't be doing this  anyhow . ”

Linda stared at him for a long time, and he  nervously  avoided looking at her.  Then Linda asked, “ Ray? ”

“ What? ”

“ Are you lying to me? ”

Ray stopped pretending to  organize files and closed his eyes with a long sigh. Then he t urned to her and nodded, saying, “ Yes , I am.  Actually, no.  I t's just that I didn't tell you something. In fact, I  wanted to avoid telling you this . I thought that since you hadn't gone back to school, you wouldn't know. I  thought you  could be spared  of  knowing this . ”

“ Know ing what? ”

He  sighed, “ Martha left town as soon as Fraser disappeared. ”

Linda didn't unders tand what Ray was talking about.

“ I did not know that.  But I don’t understand w hat  are you saying . ”

" So, I've been asking some questions, and now I need to question her sister, Laurie. But a lot of things make me believe that Martha approached you so she could keep an eye on you without arousing suspicion.”

“E ye on me?  What do you mean, keep an eye on me? ”

“Watching you, Linda: knowing your steps, your schedules, your relationship with Fraser, your  near pregnancy  – in short, being part of your life and not appearing to be spying on you. ”

“ Martha is my friend. That's what friends do. ” Linda was confused . “ Martha is my  _ friend _ , Ray. ”

“I am no longer sure of that, Linda.”

“But ... why would she pretend to be my friend if she was not –?” Then, in the blink of an eye, Linda found the answer to her own question. “Oh, no ... No, Ray, it can't be!”

Ray looked depressed in many ways, and sat down next to Linda, whose green eyes asked for help, “I'm afraid so, Linda. I think Martha approached you to give information to the people who want to hurt you. There is also a chance that Martha helped them set me up and kidnap me. I should have suspected it before.”

“Ray, she's my _friend_. I mean, she _was_ , I think. You two were even dating.”

“Which proved to be very convenient when they kidnapped me, believe me. She must have helped set the whole thing up.”

L inda put her memory into action.

“ When you disappeared, she said ... you had  stood her up . You guys had  a date but you never showed up and  you  didn’t tell her.  That's how we  realized you were  taken . Then, when we were all worried, she didn't want to see  your family or go to the hospital with  me to see you. She said she couldn't take it, that it was too difficult for her ... I thought it made sense, but now ... Oh, Ray, I'm sorry. ”

Desolate, Ray stroked Linda's face, saying, “I knew you'd be upset. I was, too, when I started to figure this out about her. I didn't want to believe it; you know? But now I need to find her, Linda. She may know where Fraser is.”

"You said you were going t o talk to Laurie, didn't you?" He nodded . “ Can you take me too? I want to go along. ”

“Why?”

“ Ray, I need to. Please. ”

The detective looked at the girl, saw disappointment exploding in his green eyes. It was more than stamped on Linda's face that she had never im agined such betrayal. He sighed, “ Okay, you can come. But I will ask all the questions, I will say everything, okay? You'll be very quiet, promise? ”

“ I promise, Ray. I won't say a word. ”

“ So, it will be. Come on, let's go.”

The two went to the Riv, took Dief home and left. As it was late afternoon, Laurie was still in her office. She came to see them both as soon as they got off the elevator, and seemed happy to see them.

“ Hi, guys. What a surprise to see you. ”

“ Laurie ,” greeted Ray . “ Do you have a minute? ”

“S ure. ”

“ We're looking for Martha. ”

“ She left town. I thought you  guys  knew. ”

“ Yes, we know ,” he continued . “ In fact, we are trying to locate her . Did she leave an address or phone number ? ”

Laurie always remembered Linda as a very kind and friendly person. At that moment, however, the girl was quiet, avoided looking at her and looked sad. L aurie felt something in the air. “ No, I'm sorry, Ray. M artha left no address with me. Is there  something wrong? ”

Ray said, “ I think you know something is wrong, Laurie. It is also  a  good  time to let you  know that this visit is a police official visit , not a social one. And now, can we talk? ”

Something in Laurie's eyes seemed to give her a different, much older face, Linda noticed. Martha's sister lo oked around, sighed and invited, “Please c ome to my office. ”

She guided them both to one of the small rooms and placed coff ee in Ray's hands before saying, “ Look, actually, I can't say much, because I'm in the dark myself . I know Martha is in trouble. She had to  skip town. I think she's running away, but I'm not sure why because she didn't tell me anything. ”

“ What  did  she  say ? ”

“ When she left, she told me  just  this ,  that  she had to leave town. But I knew she was in  a pickle long before that. I tried to talk to her about it several times, but she always told me it was better if I didn't know what was going on. She felt really bad. Especially because of the girl. ”

“ What girl? ”

“Linda . She ended up becoming fond of Linda. Without her realizing it, I heard her on the phone, sometimes, when she thought I was out or too busy. She talked to someone and always insisted that she didn't want to do that, that Linda would be hurt. ”

Ray wrote down the info rmation carefully, while asking, “ And there were many calls like that? ”

“ Well, as I said, Martha tried to hide them from me. But I heard  a few of those , yes. Sometimes I heard her whispering on the phone late at night. After a while, I came to the conclusion that she was the victim of extortion or blackmail, or something. I don't know why or who was doing that, I swear, Ray. You need to believe me. ”

Ray was fi nally a little sweeter with her, “ Nobody is accusing you of anything, Laurie. We're just trying to find Martha. She  may know where Fraser is. ”

“ Oh, my God, is Fraser in trouble , too? I'm so sorry. I hope Martha is fine. I so wanted to be able to help you. ”

"You'll be helping if you tell us everything you know," Ray insisted. "What else can you say?"

“ Not much. She packed her things up quickly, didn't  even  say  if she’d come  to get the rest of it later ... All she said was that you were fine, Ray, and now she could  finally  go  away . She seemed very relieved to know that you were okay. ”

“ Laurie, do you remember my  date with Martha?  T he night that she and I had  a date but it never came through ? ”

“A date ? ”

“ Linda told me that Martha complained that I  stood her up on a date. According to Martha, w e had  arranged to go out but  I  never show up. I thought she w ould have said something to you, because Linda said she was quite upset . ”

Laurie looked surprised.

“ She never complained about anything to me. She didn't even tell me about  any particular  date . ”

Ray sighed.

“ So, she never expected me to show up. She knew they were going to get me.”

"I didn't want to believe it," Laurie said, and looked devastated. "But I think  it is true:  she  _ was _ involved in your disappearance. I'm sorry, guys, I'm really sorry. I know  you probably don't believe me, but I don't think Martha wa nted to do any of those things.”  Then she opened her eyes wide . “ Oh, my God! ”

“ What's it? ”

Laurie looked  agitated, “ I remembered something that now seems to make sense. In one of the calls, she mentioned a pregnancy, or possibility of pregnancy. I thought it was hers, but now I think she meant Linda. ”

Linda's green eyes widened in fear a nd surprise. Ray wanted to know, “ What  did  she  say ? ”

“ She said the pregnancy was not  confirmed , but it seemed likely. And that there was a chance that they would hurt Linda to prevent her from having the baby, if she confirmed it . Maybe arrange an ... accident. Oh, Linda, I ... I'm so sorry. ”

Linda suppressed a cry and Ray touched her hand to comfort her. At the same time, he passed a card to Laurie and said, “The case is with the police. Fraser is missing, and Linda almost died. You're right, Laurie, Martha is probably in big trouble. So, if you can help us and your sister, please call me.”

She took th e card and said, very sincerely, “Yes, I will.  Do not worry. ”

They got up and Laurie said, this time addressing t he girl who was crying silently.

“ Linda, I'm really sorry. And I'm sure Martha  is, too. She likes you. ”

The girl shook Ray's hand and let a tear fall down  her face, saying in a low voice, “ Thanks. ”

Ray took Linda out of the office and thought it best to stop by a small cafe near Art Institute on Michigan Avenue so that Linda could recover from the shock. Ray felt used by Martha, but Linda was certainly even more depressed than he was. Fortunately, she seemed ready to talk about it.

“I trusted her, Ray, I even  _ confided _ in her,” said Linda, more looking at the cappuccino than actually drinking it. “I told her about the pregnancy before I even told Ben.”

“ And you didn't even tell me. When Dr.  Lennyard told me that the tests showed that you were not pregnant, I was su rprised to hear that you didn’t even know the results . ”

"We  had  just  heard about your disappearance, Ray," explai ned Linda. "There was no time.  Probably Martha collected all this information at the same time and gave it all to Victoria. ”

“ Makes sense. Victoria may have guessed that Benny would hasten the wedding because of the baby , and so she felt pressured to act as soon as possible to prevent this, both the baby and the wedding. She used me as a pressure tool, forcing Benny to abandon you. ”

“ But all this was only possible because Martha informed her of everything. It's hard to accept that, Ray. ”

“ I know, Linda ,” Ray had a bitter voice . “I liked her, too.  There was a time that I even thought about ... going ahead with her, you know. I thought I could take  her out to dinner one day at home, introduce  her to M a , things like that. ”

Linda saw Ray's head drooping and her heart melted for her fri end, wanting him to feel better, “ Oh, Ray ... ”

He stood up and shrugged, his green eyes shining with unshed tears, “ Ah ,  never mind that . There are things that shouldn't happen, right? ” He smiled and pointed a fin ger directly on her nose cheerfully. “ But you and Benny, young lady, you two  _ need _ to happen, I'm sure. And I will not let that witch separate you two. She will have to kill me to get what she wants. ”

“ Ray, don't say that! ” Linda looked scared. “ If she's so bad, she might  really try to kill you.  She didn't do it before because  s he needed to keep  you alive to convince Ben, but now ... ”

“ Do not worry. I screwed up her plans the first time she came to Chicago, and I can do it again. ”

Linda was trying not to cry.

“ Oh, Ray ... Do you think we can get him back? ”

He joked, “ With you r help ? Of course, it's just a matter of time. ” He smiled and Linda was comforted by the gesture. Then he got serious. “L ook, as the investigation is secret, we can't make any fuss, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of people in the district helping out. Believe me, Linda. A lot of people there are very fond of Benny and you. They also know how much Benny loves you. Linda, he loves you.  He loves you v ery much . Believe it. ”

She tried to contain the emotions in her chest by breathing deeply, as if nourishing herself with the love she saw Ray show ing her. Only t hen was she finally able to say, “ Thank you, Ray. Thank you very much. ”

He smiled and said, “ You're  very  welcome. But finish this cappuccino soon or we will be late for dinner. ”


	59. Chapter 59

## Chapter 59

That Thursday did not look any different than any other Thursday for Linda. She arrived at work in her usual schedule, the  Operating Room and Intensive Care appeared in her  rooster of the day, and everything seemed to be normal and without unforeseen events.  Her shift was about to end when she received a message to appear at the nurses' station on the  third floor. Samantha explained, “Oh, Linda, t here's a phone call for you. ”

“ No message? ”

“ No, it's Ray. He  sounds very nervous, and he didn't want to leave a message. He wants to speak to you immediately and said it was an emergency. ”

Heart racing, Linda picked  up the phone with shak y hands, “ Ray? ”

“Linda ! ” he exclaimed , and Linda noticed that his voice was really altered . “ Linda,  sweetie,  listen to me, and listen carefully. I do not have much time. I'm at the Public Hospital right now. Benny has been found and he is  here at the Hospital . ”

Linda felt her knees buckle, and her legs threatened to stop supporting he r. Her voice almost disappeared, “ My God ... Ray ... ”

“ He is fine! ” Predicting Linda's reaction on learning that Fraser was hurt, Ray sho uted, "Linda, Linda, he's fine. Did you hear me? Benny is fine. ”

Still dizzy, Lin da found the strength to answer, “ I heard you , Ray. Is he really okay? ”

“ He was shot, yet he's out of danger, but he thinks you might be. ”

“Me ? What about me? ”

“ He thinks you might be in danger, Linda. ”

“ But why would I be ... ” She soon deduced . “ Oh, no. Is it ... Victoria? ”

“That's right. I just talked to Welsh and he's dispatching a unit right now to pick you up at the hospital. We are going to protect you, Linda ; we will hide you and then –”

Linda interrupted him, “ Ray, I need to see Benny. ”

“ Later, Linda. Now you need to wait for the unit. This is serious, Linda. ”

Linda almost despaired, “ Ray, please. ”

“ Later, Linda. You will have all the time in the world  after we pick up that  b itch . There is no point in insisting, I will not change my mind. ”

She sighed, “ Fine. Just let me talk to Dr.  Lennyard . ”

He interrupted her.

“We have no time for that. Linda, you must get out of the hospital _right_ _now_. At this moment, you are very vulnerable and unprotected. Everything else, including Fraser, can wait. He's not going anywhere, and believe me, he won't want you to underestimate Victoria. She is probably coming for you.”

Linda still wasn't breathing  from  so much emotion, an d she could do nothing but agree with him, “ Okay, Ray. ”

“ Good girl. Now wait for the  uniforms . See you soon. ”

“I love you, Ray. Tell Ben that I love him very much. ”

“Of course I will.”

Linda put the phone down and Sam had a glass of water ready for her. The girl ignored the  offer and said, still trembling, “ Sam, could you do me a favor and tell Mrs.  Sorelli that I need to leave early? It's an emergency. ”

“ Sure. I  couldn’t help but  hear what happened. Is Fraser okay? ”

“ Ray says yes, but he was shot. Sam, can you do what I asked? ”

“ Sure.  Take it easy. If you can, give  my regards to Fraser. ”

She smiled, “ Thank you, Sam. You are quite a friend. ”

Linda practically flew down the stairs to the entrance hall. Then she came across a lady police officer in uniform who seemed to be looking for someone at the reception. Linda had never seen her before, but she had more contact with detectives, not with uniformed officers, anyway. She went straight to the female officer.

“ Hi,  I think you ar e looking for me , am I right ? ”

The long-haired woman in Chicago PD uniform turned to her and asked, “Are you Linda?”

“ Yes. They told me  you would  come; I didn't know it would be so fast. ”

She frowned.  “Really? Nobody told me that you knew I was coming. ”

“ I  talked to Ray .” The  officer loo ked at  Linda , and  she clarified , “ Detective  Vecchio warned me. ”

That seemed to satisfy the policewoman. “Oh, good. So, everything is okay. If you're ready, we can go now. We have no time to waste.”

“Why is that ? ”

“While I was on my way, I heard a dispatch that you may be in great danger. So, we better hurry.”

At first, Linda feared that the cop might be fake, a cover for her to go with a  complete  stranger. But when she saw a patrol car parked right outside the hospital entrance, s he  felt safe. The  lady  offic er said, “ You  better  go in the back seat. It will be safer there, in case of ...  an  attack. ”

Linda obeyed and sat on the back seat, where criminals were transported. Thus, there were no locks on the doors, the windows were reinforced and covered with a steel grid. It would be really hard for someone to take her from there. It was so full of bars that Linda barely saw the police officer, who was already driving the patrol car on the crowded streets of Chicago. Linda asked, looking out into the street, “Where are we going?”

“To a safe house. T hat's what we call this protected place. The location is secret. My partner is already there, waiting for us. ”

“ Can't we go to the hospital first? ”

“ Hospital? ”

“ Ben was hurt. I need to see him. ”

"You can't go near him, Linda," warned the officer seriously, looking at her in the rear-view mirror. "It would be stupid; they would be waiting for you. It's very dangerous.”

“Please, officer ... officer ...” Linda smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I do not even know your name.”

T he  policewoman smi led  at her through  the mirror and suggested, “ Why don't you just call me Elizabeth? ”

“ OK .” Linda also smiled . “ Elizabeth, please, let me see him. I love him. He was separated from me and now  he is injured, I don’t know how badly . You don't know how it  makes me feel. I need to see him. Just a few minutes, please. ”

Elizabeth sai d, still without turning around, “ Look, Linda, believe me. I know exactly what it is like to have someone you love so much be taken from you. But in  this case ... I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. ”

Linda sighed, and the patrol car radio hissed with a message that the girl didn't even struggle to pay attention, looking out the window as they drove through Chicago. The officer, however, seemed to have thought about what Lind a had asked, and wanted to know, “ Tell me, Linda: did you really  feel bad when  your boyfriend was taken from you? ”

“ Yes. Well, actually, I didn't know  that at the time. I mean, it was only later that I learned that he had been taken from me. At first I thought he had left me. ”

“ And how did  _ that _ make  you feel? ”

"I thought I was going to die," Linda confessed, shuddering at the memory. "I  actually came quite close to death ."

“ But how did you know he hadn't  really abandoned you? ”

“ Because my friend Ray investigated it, and he wouldn't lie to me. Besides, now Ben is back. Why do you want to know, Elizabeth? ”

"I'm just thinking," the  lady shrugged. "He could be gone foreve r, and you would never be sure , if it were not for Ray . Gosh, you're really lucky, girl. ”

“ No ,” Linda corrected, with a smile . “ My luck is to have Ben. ”

Elizabeth smiled, still looking in the rearview mirror, “ Ah, I know that smile. It's real love, isn't it? The one we know is for life, right? ”

Linda even blushed and agreed, “ Yes , it is. True love. We will get married as soon as  this whole thing is  over. ”

Elizabeth  let out a soft laugh before she stated,  quite  matter-of-factly, “ Oh,  no, you won’t . ”

Linda thought she hadn't heard correctly.

“What did you say?”

“ I said you're not getting married. You know, Linda, this will never  happen . ”

“ I don't understand it , Elizabeth. Why do you say that? ”

“ By the way, Linda, you're saying the name of the wrong queen. ”

“ Queen? What you mean? ”

“ I lied, Linda. My name is not Elizabeth ,” she smiled in a smug way. “ I have the name of another Queen of England. One from the 19th century. Can you guess  which queen it is? ”

Linda thought, trying to remember history lessons. When she did, sh e went pale .

“ Oh no.  _ Victoria ...! _ _ ” _

** * * * **

Green eyes widened at  the words spoken through the cell phone.

“What do you mean, she is _gone_?”

“ A police officer had already  taken her . It was the information we got from the hospital reception. Then came a dispatch  warning  that a patrol car had been stolen, its occupants dead. ”

Ray closed his eyes, desperate.

“Oh no , oh no.  Well…  Thanks. ”

He closed the cell phone, leaned his head against the wall and internally started arguing with himself for about 15 seconds, sighing long and deeply. It was all the time he had to make a decision. Beside him, Fra ser shifted on the hospital bed.

“ Ray? What happened? ”

Ray looked at his friend at length on the bed surrounded by devices. He knew that Fraser had only been scratched by a bullet while fleeing Victoria's henchmen. Not only was he about to be released, but he was also anxious to see Linda as soon as possible. The wound had already been dressed, and the doctor had only recommended rest. So, Ray knew he was facing a Mountie in full physical condition, one who was particularly stubborn and eager to see his girlfriend. The chances that Fraser could be deceived were slim.

As expected, Benny insisted.

“ Ray? ”

Ray sighed again and reached a verdict. The only  one  possible, of course. He approached his friend and had to control his voice to say; “ Benny , I think I have some very bad news. ”

** * * * **

Linda looked around the patrol car for a way out to perhaps try to control the panic in her stomach. There was no way to escape, nor to hide. The place had been designed to arrest criminals and prevent them from escaping. What chance would she even have of thinking about running away from such a place?

Victori a must have  guessed what she was thinking, and laughed softly, still driving.

“No, there is nowhere to run, Linda. Now we can dedicate ourselves to getting to know each other better. I was _so_ looking forward to meeting you. After such a long time of just observing you from afar, at last we are face to face – sort of.”

The girl was trembling,  frightened to the  core of her soul. She could hardly ask, “ What do you want from me? ”

"Why, I just want to meet you," said the older woman in an ironic way. “I heard so much about you. My curiosity about you grew every day, you know?”

Linda felt as if the world was closing in on her. In addition, her chest hurt, the air seemed unable to enter her lungs, even though she was not dizzy. This was the worst nightmare she could have imagined, after losing Ben. It just couldn't be happening.

“ The cat ate your tongue? ” The girl did not answer, still in shock, and Victoria lost her sarcastic smile, her voice acquiring clear tones of harshness . “ I advise you not to try to resist. Ben may have escaped, but there are still many ways to torture him if you don't cooperate. Understood? ” Linda kept quiet and Victoria yelled, “ I want you to answer me! ”

Linda closed her eyes, tears forming in them even closed, and said quietly ,  trying to fight her despa ir, “ I will cooperate, Victoria. ”

** * * * **

The door was thrown open without ceremony, lots of shouting, and in a matter of minutes, there were police officers all over the old, smelly warehouse. The location had been provided by Fraser, who quickly got to his feet and left the hospital as soon as he heard about Linda's  kidnapping . He knew that time was  of the essence . However, the building to which he had brought two entire teams of police men and a tactical  team appeared  to be  empty. Ray was unhappy that there was no soul alive.

“ Benny, are you sure this is the place? ”

“ Ray,  I am sure  this is the place where I was held prisoner ,” insisted the  Mountie , “ but apparently, it was not the only place they had. ”

At the bottom left of the building, there was a small  structure , like a n office of some sort . There they found ample evidence that the place had served as a base for operations  and accommodation. There were two rooms with  nothing but beds, and one of them Benny knew very well. There he had been kept, locked,  a place with no windows , after having refused to cooperate with Victoria. All over the place, there were cans of food scattered on the floor, and evidence of food delivered  there . The cops walked  carefully  amidst the cans and  others  remains, so as not to destroy evidence.

Fraser looked around and said , “ These remains indicate no more than five people. It matches what I saw. Victoria had at least three more accomplices. ”

One of the detectives said, “ So now there are only two. We found a body in the right corner. It's still  warm . ”

“Somebody better call the coroner,” Ray said, looking around at the dirty place, while the rest of the cops spread out all over the place. “They sure got the hell out of Doge. This is so gross. What a mess.”

Then they heard a shout from the other side of the huge building, and they ran over there. There was another body near the door, a strong smell of paint. Ray shook his head, desolate, “She _really_ doesn't leave witnesses ...”

“We found this,” said one of the cops, pointing to drips of white paint all over the floor. “It seems to be all over the place, there, near this exit...”

Fraser crouched close to the evidence, then touched the ink with his fingertips and watched them, watching for consistency. Ray almost expected him to  lick his dirty fingers. But he did not do that.

“ The ink obviously it was used recently ,”  said the Canadian . “ It is a very particular type of  paint . Very flammable and .... ” Fraser suddenly stopped.

Ray pointed ahead to the floor.

“ Look, a tire track. Big vehicle.  Looks like a truck. Perhaps more than one. ”

Huey said, comi ng from behind them, “ Yeah, they  were in a real hurry . There's a  small portable  fridge  back there,  and it's full of food, good frozen  food. It would make no sense to leave this behind. ”

Fraser looked up, h is blue eyes shining with alarm, “ We need to evacuate the building. Ray, this place is all  rigged . There is a high possibility that there may be one , maybe more bombs  in  here. ”

“ Benny, how come ...? ”

The Canadian is already running straight to the place of the big warehouse where the rooms were, shouting,

“ Out! Everyone out! Bomb! Call the bomb squad! ”

Ray ran to catch up with him, while the same cops that had flooded the place now  ran out in droves. Everything would have gone with the perfection of a Swiss watch if one of them had not tripped over one of the food cans scattered on the floor  – the cans that contained fire bombs. The explosion itself was not very large, but it immediately set fire to the extremely flammable paint. Tongues of fire chased  the police officers , with a  Mountie leading them  out  until they managed to get outside the huge burning warehouse.

A genuine turmoil had already formed, and it was going to get worse, with the firefighters, experts, coroners and bomb squad. The confusion of protocol and  witnesses would be stunning. Fraser knew this when he turned to Ray, who had his hands on his head, exasperated,

“ Ray, I know what this paint is used for. ”

The Italian felt his patience evaporate like ice in the desert sun. Upon leaving the hospital with Fraser, he was certain that Linda could be rescued quickly, as quick action was her only chance. Now he wasn't so sure that they would achieve that, and Frase r didn't seem to make any sense.

“That building is on fire, Fraser!” he shouted, gesturing his arms as if he was trying to help somebody land an airplane. “They just tried to kill us, we don't know where Linda is and you keep talking about paint?!?!”

Fraser was never affected by his friend's explosive temper. At that moment, especially, he couldn't focus on Ray's feelings. He had to focus on finding Linda, or he would have to face his own feelings, which was too much for him at that moment.

“Ray,” he said ve ry low and extremely controlled, “ listen to me. Thanks to that paint, I know where they took Linda, Ray. And if we don't hurry, we may never find  her . That  ink is a special kind for  wooden  boat hulls. If they went to the docks of the port on the lake, they may have fled by then. We will only  be certain if we go there  _ now _ . ”

Green eyes stared at him with  deep  emotion for a split second. Ray guessed that Welsh would like to interrogate the two of them, to collect every bit of information and clue at that moment, while it was still  fresh . In the next fraction of seconds , the Italian realized that if he waited for his boss, Linda would be lost and Victoria would run away a second time . He had to  hurry.

Welsh be damned.

Ray again shouted, arms in the air, “But what are you waiting for, Jesus Christ?! Let’s go!!!”

The two ran to the  Riv , knowing that it would not be a good idea to try to wait for backup. Besides, it wouldn't do any good . They had to do this for themselves.


	60. Chapter 60

## Chapter 60

Linda was more than terrified. Not only was she in a totally strange  place , but she also  knew that Victoria had no good intentions towards her. She sat in the chair inside the cramped cabin of a small boat  in a dock in Lake Michigan, one that smelled strongly of fresh paint. But Linda still managed to thank the gods for being neither tied nor drugged. She could be facing something like that right away, but at that moment, the most she had to endure was the presence of her  kidnapper .

"You are such a victim," Victoria said contemptuously, interrupting Linda's thoughts. "No wonder Ben fell for you. He always had a soft spot for the pitiful type, with this lost puppy look of yours. Do you know that every word he said to you in that stinky bar came directly from me? I instructed him, coached him word by word. He had a bug in his ear. A very useful device. In addition, he had two hidden microphones. One on Ben's body, another on the table. There was also a person at Chandler’s with a gun pointed at you at all times. It was my condition to return Vecchio. If Ben tried to warn you in any way of what was going on, I would finally see you dead, right there, among all those people at the bar. It would have been worth it, too.”

Linda did not answer.  She didn't even look up. She didn't know what to do. She couldn’t help but just shudder with the utmost fear.

“ Don't worry ,” continued Victoria . “ I have no intention of killing  you or hurting  you  _ now _ . I've made several attempts  to do that you before and you've survived them all, so I don't think it's worth  the bother . Not if you behave yourself, of course. You said you would cooperate. Are you still willing to do that ? ”

“ Yes ,” Linda said, shak ily. “ Yes, I will cooperate. ”

“ Then we'll get along very well. You realize, of course, that you will never see Ben again in your life, do n’t you? ”

Linda felt her eyes fill with tears, her heart closing inside her chest with the cruel words, but she finally nodded. Victoria sighed before continuing, “Ah, Linda, Linda... You probably have no idea how many times I've been in a position to make you die painfully. It would have been so easy. Then Ben would really know what pain is, real pain, just as he gave me for years on end. Did you know that I was behind every, shall we say,  _ incident _ that you suffered in the last months?”

The girl looked up, startled. Ray was investigating that, along with the police, and they hadn't gotten any evidence, just  rumors . Now the woman openl y confessed to it all . Linda was appalled.

“No! ... It can't be true ... Not _every_ one of them! ...”

Victoria seemed very  smug and almost proud when talking about the horrible things she had done:

“Well, I guess you're right. After all, I had nothing to do with that mugging at El,” she guaranteed. “But that was what gave me the idea, as soon as I knew you were having fun with both Ben and that horrible Italian friend of his. In the end, things turned out better than I planned. After that, it was only a matter of time before I found the right people for my plans, letting them know where you lived and worked. I even suggested what they could do to you. Of course, I never suggested that they kill you, because there could be much more profit from using you. But I was meticulous. First, I sent emissaries to every criminal who had something against Vecchio or Ben, offering a chance for revenge – through _you_. Carver was the smartest of them. Then I forged Ben's photos, and gave them to Moreaux, with your address. He said afterwards that he had a lot of fun with you, so much that he couldn’t resist showing up later for an encore. I really should thank you, Linda, that you have provided for him to take great pleasure in the situation.”

Linda shivered; her stomach seemed to churn at the thought of everything that she had endured at the hands of those terrible men. Her reaction made Victoria laugh.

“I see you still have fond memories. I am so glad. You know, it was after Moreaux made that blunder that I was able to sell your name to an audacious entrepreneur who ran a very special parallel social club. I never expected you to get out of there alive. Two whole months and you survived. Yeah, I must commend you for this one. You've surprised me.”

At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted her, and Victoria opened it. A man put his head inside the parlor, and whispered something in Victoria's ear. She answered so quietly that Linda couldn't hear what it was, and then the man left. Victoria turned to her and a nnounced, “We will be  leaving soon. I heard that you never left Chicago in your life. Well,  from now on , you're going to travel a lot, Linda. What do you think? Won't it be exciting? ”

The girl was having a lot of trouble to control herself. She wanted to scream,  to  cry for help , but she didn't dare upset Victoria. That woman inspired immense  terror  o n her .  Linda tried to  plead, “ Please don't  do that. .. I  am… in treatment… I…  need ...  medication ... ”

Victoria nodded, agreeing, “Oh, yes, that’s right, I remember it now. But I will take care of you properly, Linda. You see, I know a doctor who knows everything about your case, and I'm sure he will take good care of you.” So, she exclaimed, in a theatrical way. “Oh, but what am I saying? Of course, you know the good doctor! It's your favorite psychiatrist, Linda: Dr.  Lachen , do you remember him?”

Linda's eyes widened, and she could almost feel the blood running from her cheeks. God, the nightmare seemed to get worse and worse...!

“ No, please ... Please, no! ”

Victoria said, “ No,  Linda, no need to worry, dear”.  She smiled, and Linda looked even more scared to see  it. “ This time he doesn't need to give you any of those horrible drugs  like before . But actually, it reminds me of something we need to discuss. Your life will change from now on, Linda. Still, I want you to make your own choice as to  _ how _ it will change. ”

Linda didn't understand, “My…  choice?”

The woman agreed, “Of course.  You can choose to come with me and the people I work for , or  you can  settle down somewhere  nice and  quiet. Let me explain how this is going to work. If you choose to come with me, we can have a lot of fun. We travel a lot, and we can make money in many ways. You can help us make money. We go everywhere, it's a very exciting life, Linda, one you never had. But I understand that you may be uncomfortable with  all this excitement , and you may prefer to settle down in a quiet and peaceful place, away from everything ,  away from t he mad, nasty big city where you grew up. Imagine: a  regular , very organized and calm life.  You can p i ck  whichever you want: the fast life or the quiet life.”

Linda didn't say a word, just looked at the other woman. The girl's eyes shone with pure terror. Victoria kept her voice totally neutral and deceptively calm.

“ Of course, in either of those two lives, there would be no Ben. It is a condition for you to  live, you see . If  Ben looks for you, you run away, and I  will find a place where he won't find you. If I find you with him, he will die, and I will leave you alive to spend the rest of your life knowing that his death is your fault  and yours alone. ” Linda felt a tear run down that she couldn't h elp. Victoria seemed touched. “ Well, there is no reason for  crying , Linda. Another life is not so bad, is it? It means a fresh start. A new identity, a new chance. Nobody would know you are a freak. You may have a normal life; one you have never had. Isn't it an alternative full of promise and potential? ”

Linda tried to say, “ But I... ”

Once more, she never could finish, because Victoria had to object, “And of course, I don't expect you to  make such an important choice right now,  in the heat of the moment . But let me say something that can help you decide, something that you’ll love to hear, I’m sure. Not only will you have your own doctor, but I can also arrange for you to have your child back. Would you like that? ”

The girl's eyes got impossibly big.

“ My child? ”

“ Yes, the one you had when you lived with the man I hired to be your father. I'm not sure that you remember the child itself, but I know that information about the baby has reached you. You know you had a child, don't you? ”

“Yes, I–” Linda was almost out of breath. “My ... b-baby ...”

“ I made a lot of money with your baby, but now I can arrange for the couple that adopted him to disappear completely .” Victoria spoke in a totally cold way . “ Would you like me to do that? ”

Her head was spinning,  “ My little baby... ”

Victoria laughed out loud, “Oh, no, Linda; certainly not a little baby anymore. It is over a year old now. It is almost walking; it is such a gorgeous kid. I wish you could meet the child. I'm sure you would love that.”

Linda couldn't take it anymore and burst into a quiet, heartfelt cry, her heart  felt as if it were  bleeding profusely. Pretend ing to have pity, Victoria said, “ Ah, but I see that th is is still a sor e subject. You have not completely overcome it. If that makes you so unhappy, Linda, I'm going to have to stop talking about it and forget about it entirely. I will never mention that again  …”

“No ! ” Linda reacted on impulse and even jumped up . “ Please don't do that.  It is Ben's  child ! ”

“Yes, I know that, Linda. I see that the man I hired and ended up cheating on me told you all about the child. After he managed to escape from me, I watched the police try in vain to locate it. I'm not even going to tell you if it's a boy or a girl. But I can say one thing: it is a gorgeous child! Of course, being Ben's kid, you couldn't expect less than perfection. But the eyes ... are absolutely wonderful. I really can’t tell if the child has your eyes or Ben’s eyes. I've always had trouble to decide that. I wish you could see it for yourself. And you will be able to see it, Linda. But only if I want it, you know? Having your child back comes at a price, and I want to know if you're willing to pay my price.”

Sobbing endlessly, the pain in his chest too much to bear, Linda was quickly beginning to lose control of her emotions. She realized that Victoria had everything under control, had everything thoroughly planned, and that Linda would have to leave behind everything she cherished the most, condemned to live her whole life stripped of it, subject to that woman's petty whims, without ever being able to see Benny again, being a hostage all her life ...

And then there was the additional pain that Victoria was so happy to inflict on Linda: the pain of mentioning  her missing baby. It was torture to offer the child in exchange for a lifetime without Benny.

Linda's attention turned to a familiar noise outside. A car engine, a particular, familiar noise to which she ended up getting used. Even during her most painful weeping, Linda's heart started to beat faster. It was  the  Riv ! Ray was out there!

So, she lost control.

Screaming, Linda hurled her body at Victoria, knocking her capturer to the floor and running for the door of the small cabin. As Linda struggled out of the confined quarters of that Lake Michigan boat, there were screams (from Victoria) and gunfire (apparently from everywhere). Linda finally reached the deck of the boat and looked at the docks. There she saw Ray and Fraser running down the pier, very close to the boat. Then she shouted, still inside the boat, “Ray!!! Ben!!!! Over here!!!”

Then the shots increased, and some came from behind and above Linda's head from the upper deck, and she ducked out of sheer instinct. When Linda looked up to see what was going on, she couldn't believe what she was seeing on the docks. Benny appeared to be missing from the pier, and Ray was lying on the floor. He didn't move.

_ Oh my god oh my god _

Linda  shouted at the top of her lungs, “ ** NO! ** Ray !!!!!! ”

Petrified by shock and horror, Linda did not detect the movement behind her, and only realized too late that Victoria had reached her. The woman used her as a human shield, pointing something prickly at the girl's throat, and hissed in her ear, “Tell them to go away or I'll kill you right _now!_ ”

Linda never knew w here the voice came from to say, “Go away ! She will kill me if  you don't leave! ”

It didn't take 10 seconds. Fr om the sheltered place he was , Ben came out with his hands up. Victoria repositioned herself, leaving Linda right between her and the  Mountie, and shouted, “ Don't come close! And I want to see all the cops! ”

Ben stopped where he was, hands still in the air.

“ There is no one else. Ray and I came alone.  Come out . ”

“ Do not move! ” warned Victoria . “ I'll kill Linda. And  as far I am concerned ,  Vecchio can bleed to death. He messed up my plans more than once and he deserves it! I should have killed him when I had the chance! ”

Ben tried to move, saying, “Victoria, pleas-"

She threatened more forcefully, “I already said I  will  kill her! You know I will!”

B en stopped. Then he asked again, “ Let her go, Victoria. You don't  really  want  her . Your fight is with me. ”

Victoria smiled contemptuously.

“Ben, what a cliché. And you are wrong. I _want_ her, I really do. You are lost to me. I lost you to her, and you know I don't handle losses very well. I do want her so that _you_ can suffer.”

“ Victoria,  _ please! _ ”

Linda could only shake when she heard the despair in Ben's voice and felt that what was in her throat was not the cold barrel of a gun, but the fine pressure of a needle. Still holding the girl against her body, Victoria warned, “Don't come near me, Ben. I have a very special mix inside this syringe. It won't kill your precious Linda right away, no, but it eventually will – painfully, slowly, gradually, with no return. While she is dying, you will be watching it, and you won’t be able to do a thing to stop her from dying.”

He moistened hi s lips with his tongue and said, “You can’t escape. ”

“ Can’t I? Well, watch me do just that!”  She laughed and looked up, before shouting . “ Let's go, captain! ”

Linda was shaking with fear, but her body started to fail when she heard the boat's engine starting. Eyes filled with tears, s he tried to focus on Benny, knowing full well that it might be the last time she  set her eyes on him ...

Fraser warned, “ Victoria, you can't escape. Lake Michigan is  highly patrolled, you will not be able to reach Lake Huron and get to Toronto faster. Isn't that your escape plan? ”

Victoria laughed softly.

“ Don't try to get me to talk about my plans, Ben. Besides, I will certainly be able to escape if I have a good advantage. ”

“ And what makes you think that I will give you that advantage? ”

“You won’t.  But s he will.”

As soon as she said those words, Victoria  pressed the needle and its contents into Linda's neck, and the girl screamed, more from fright than pain. Then the older woman kicked Linda out of the boat in the pier.

“ Time to make a decision, Ben! Either you come after me, or you try to save your precious  Linda! But you have to be quick ! ” She shouted. “ We are sailin g  _ now _ , captain!  Full steam ahead! ”

The small white-painted boat soon began to move towards the depths of the great lake that bathed Chicago. Ben ran over to Linda's body, which was spread out on the dock floor. He took her in his arms.

“Linda…!”

Sh e o pened her eyes and said, firmly, “ I'm fine, Benny ... But what about Ray? Benny, and Ray ?! ”

They both got up and ran to the place where Ray was still lying on the floor, still motionless and unconscious. Ben knelt beside him, moved the body, then opened his coat to locate the wounds. There were no wounds. Benny opened the elegant suit, then the silk shirt, with at least two bullet holes. Underneath it was a bulletproof vest. He had used the equipment to raid the empty warehouse and had not had time to get it out. It had saved his life.

Linda felt a wave of relief wash over her, “ Oh, thank God ...! ”

The Italian finally opened his e yes and managed to focus on her.

“Linda ...? ”

“Yes, Ray, it's me.”  She stroked his face , crying and laughing. “Thank God you are fine.  How do you feel? ”

He tried to sit up and squirmed in pain. “Ouch. It hurts!”

Ben looked back and saw that the small boat was moving away from the pier quickly; he could hardly see Victoria staring at them in the distance. The Canadian decided to act. He put his hand inside Ray's coat and took out his cell phone, “I'll call the paramedics.”

Ray tried to get up and,  grimacing, said, “ No, Benny, I'll be fine. ”

Linda offered to support the Italian, who soon stood up and took off his vest. In the abdomen and chest, there were at least three bruises that look ed very painful. Linda recalled, “ Ray, you're hurt. You need to go to a doctor, to a hospital. ”

“ No, I'm fine. You don't have to call anyone. ”

"Linda is right, Ray," Ben said. "Let me call you a med team ."

Ray insisted, “ No, Benny, you don't have to. I already told you! ”

That's when Linda spoke, in a d ifferent, slightly choked voice, “ Ray ...  please  let Benny call the paramedics. Please. ”

Immediately the two turned to her, who had a strange look on her face.

“Linda?”

She couldn't answer immediately, looking ahead with an empty look on her face. Then her legs failed, and if it weren't for Benny's quick reflexes, she would have hit the floor with a mute sigh. The Canadian gently  laid her on the floor and asked, “ Linda, tell me what you're feeling. ”

Linda tried not to panic, and replied, intrigued, holding his arm , while he held her in his arms, “ It's strange, Ben ...  I don’t feel much ... Just a ...  weird…  sensation ... ”

Ray didn't understand. 

“ What is  happening to her , Benny? ”

“ Victoria injected some kind of drug into Linda's body. It is deadly, and has slow action. I have no idea what it is. ”

“ I'm already calling the  medics . ”

Ray was nervously trying to  punch the numbers on his own cell phone, hands shakin g. Ben tried to calm Linda down, “ The doctors will arrive  soon , Linda, don't  you  worry. They will find out what's wrong with you. Everything will work out. ”

Linda tried to smile, looking at Ben and rais ing her hand to caress his face, “ I ... I missed you so much, Ben ... ”

He took her hand, kissed it with great tenderness and said, “ I missed you too, Linda. Every thing will be fine now. Believe me.”

Back there, Ray indicated that he had managed to speak to 911. His free arm went up and down, his voice was loud, two strong indicators of the Italian's low level of patience.

“ Benny …” Linda started to  shudder. “ Victoria ...! ”

“ She's gone,  my love . She won't hurt us anymore. Believe me, she won't do that anymore. ”

“The baby, Ben ...! She knows where the baby is ... Our  baby! ” Linda didn't cry, but her voice seemed to be weakening rapidly. “Victoria knows ...”

“ Shhh ”- Ben said, caressing her, trying to control his own emotions so as not to make Linda nervous. “Linda, you better try to get some rest, okay?”

Ray knelt beside Linda and said, “ They will arrive soon ”. He looked at the girl and smiled  reassuringly, “ Hey,  _ ragazza _ , how are you? ”

“ Not  too peachy , Ray ... ” She had difficulty breathing, and speaking was very difficult . “ I'm getting ... cold ... ”

The detective took off his coat and Benton helped him wrap Linda around  it , then improvised a pillow for her head on t he cold floor. The Italian said, “ Okay, Linda, look , here is what I want you to do. You don't even have to talk, okay? Just move your head when I ask, okay? ”

She murmured , a grimace of pain on her face, “ Ray ... I can't ... move ... ”

The Italian tried to control the feeling of panic that seemed to spring from his stomach, the pain from the wounds on his body totally forgotten in the face of the rapid deterioration of Linda's condition. He looked at Ben, who was still hol ding Linda's hand and explained, “ You need to keep talking, Linda. What Ray wants is that you don't fall asleep, okay? ”

She tried to bre athe, her voice lower and lower, “ Tired ... Benny ... So tired…”

“ Yes, Linda, I know you're tired, and you'll be able to rest soon, but now it' s important that you stay awake now. ” Ben could feel the despair spreading through his body, tensing his muscles, and he begge d, unable to let go of her hand, “Will you  do that? Do this for me,  my love , please? Stay wake, all right?”

Linda tried to draw some air through her mouth, her eyes already losing fo cus, and now frankly whispering, “ I love you, Benny ... Forever and ever ... ”

Ben kissed her forehead and said, his voice breaking, “ I love you too , Linda ... I love you  forever. ” He stroke d his pale face, fighting tears. “ I need you, Linda. Please stay with me. ”

Linda tried to smile, but she felt a wave of cold and shivered. She tried to draw more air, and couldn't breathe. Ben  was unable to control his panic.

“Linda?  Linda, love, please stay with me, okay? Just stay with us. ”

She couldn't speak anymore , and her eyes struggled to stay open. Ben called again, “Linda? Linda, my love,  look  there . Ray is here too. Pay attention to me, dear, please, Linda, please! ” Her eyes closed a little, and then they stopped moving. She went still. Benny felt his heart racing , “ Linda! Linda, look at me!  Linda,  _ please _ _!!! _ _ ” _

As he frantically searched for any sign of movement on her face, Ben did not notice  a siren  getting close r . He was still clinging to Linda's immobile body while Ray gently asked him to step aside so the paramedics could do their job.

Ben felt like he was out of body, as he answered questions from doctors and police, still on the docks, his eyes never losing contact with Linda as she was put on a stretcher and then in an ambulance. That was when he broke into the ambulance and demanded to  ride  to the hospital with her. After spending more than a month of pure nightmare under Victoria's clutches, he thought that the worst part of his ordeal was over.

He was wrong. This was just the beginning.

### THE END (kind of)

** Explanation **

I  _ did _ write an ending to this story, more than 20 years ago, but I was thoroughly unsatisfied with it, since it was a sad one and Linda died. But the damn girl wouldn’t stay dead (20 years ago). She demanded to be written, and Fraser needed some loving. So, back then, I made an editorial decision to end part 1 of the Nightmare series without a real conclusion. And you guys could enjoy the next part right way. Onward to the next Nightmare!


End file.
